Sunshine
by kingdomdisney
Summary: I miss you. You were my sunshine. Where did you go, Naminé? R&R!
1. I Miss You and Start All Over

I miss you.

I miss the way you practically skipped when you walked, and the way you always had a smile on your face. You were my sunshine; you were my reason for staying.

What was I to you? Was I just a friend, or was I something more? Or was I a toy, something to play with when you felt like it? Because to me, you were the reason that I stayed on the islands; I only stayed in the hopes that you loved me, too.

Where are you, Naminé? Where's my sunshine?

_I miss you._

_I miss your smile._

_And I still shed a tear,_

_Every once in a while._

_And even though it's different now,_

_You're still here somehow._

_My heart won't let you go,_

_And I need you to know._

_I miss you,_

_Sha la la la la,_

_I MISS YOU._

"Sora!"

The spiky-haired brunet looked over his shoulder to see his best friends-his cousins, Roxas and Ven, and his fraternal twin, Vanitas-running over to him. He sighed as he realized that one of three blonds still wasn't there. He'd kind of held onto the hope that she had come back overnight.

"Hey," he sighed, and Ven frowned as Vanitas groaned and Roxas slapped him upside the head.

"You need to forget about her! She's been gone for two years, man," Roxas whisper-yelled at him. No one could yell at Sora; that would only mean trouble.

"Yeah, and that's why the four of us have these," Vanitas said as he gave them each slips of paper. They unfolded them-and the shock kicked in. Sora's jaw went slack, Roxas shook his head in disbelief, and Ven gasped, "Is it…true?"

"Yep. We got into Twilight Town School for the Talented!" Vanitas crowed, throwing his hands up in the air in victory! The four boys whooped in happiness, and Roxas proposed that they go to the Paopu Fruit Café, to which the others adamantly agreed. As they made their way over there, the four boys decided what they were going to do at their new school.

"Well, we obviously have to do Combat," Sora stated after the waiter took their orders. The others nodded in agreement. "But other than that, I think I'll take Music, for...Lead Guitar and Vocals."

"Of course!" Roxas laughed. "Well, I'm going to take Music, too, but for Drums and Vocals."

"Music for Bass Guitar," Vanitas said.

"Music for Rhythm Guitar. Definitely," Ven said. The four laughed and joked until Riku came back. "All right, Sora's Latte, Vanitas' Peppermint Mocha, Roxas' Civet Coffee, and Ven's Strawberry-Banana Smoothie. Let me guess…Sora wants Wakka's famous Chocolate Chip cookies, Vanitas wants Kairi's Triple-Fudge Brownies, Roxas wants Selphie's Snickerdoodles, and Ven wants Tidus' Angel Wings?"

Ven laughed, "Do you even have to ask?" Riku smirked, and turned to Vanitas, saying, "Oh, and Kairi told me to tell you that she hopes you got into that Twilight Town school, because she did."

Vanitas smirked, "Well, she's not going to be disappointed." Riku laughed as he went to go tell his best friend-turned-stepsister the news.

Sora turned to his twin and raised his eyebrows. "You didn't tell Kairi?"

"I was about to when she left to go to work," was the reply. Sora nodded understandingly. Kairi, the best girl friend of _her_, was Vanitas' longtime girlfriend and one of the dessert artists at the Paopu Café. It was run differently than other cafés, and apparently it had a twin in Twilight Town, called The Sea-Salt Café.

Roxas, Ven, and Vanitas joked for a while after the food came, but Sora merely nibbled on his cookie, deep in thought. Where was Naminé? Why was everybody so determined to make him forget her, when they knew he couldn't. He had been too in love with her.

_I know you're in a better place, yeah,_

_But I wish that I could see your face, oh._

_I know you're where you need to be,_

_Even though it's not here with me._

**Out of the fire**

**And into the fire again.**

**You make me want to forget,**

**And start all over.**

**Here I come,**

**Straight out of my mind**

**Or worse.**

**Another chance to get burned,**

**And start all over.**

**I'm gonna start all over.**

"Naminé! Xion!"

Naminé looked over her shoulder to see Zexion, Axel, Demyx, and Larxene running towards her. She and Xion slowed to a stop as they waited. She giggled as Larxene tripped Demyx up, but stopped once she realized the reason why she giggled. _Damn you, Sora_, she cursed silently.

"So, Nami, guess where we're going to school in September," Demyx grinned as he easily stood up. She gasped as she realized why even Zexion looked pleased. "The six of us got in?"

"Yup! We're going to Twilight Town School for the Talented!" Larxene shouted, punching the smaller blonde on the shoulder-hard. Naminé rubbed her shoulder, wincing, but Larxene didn't notice as she gave Xion a noogie, which the ebony haired girl obviously hated. Axel noticed, too, and roughly pulled the older girl off. "Leave the sophomores alone," he chastised. Naminé snorted; of course he didn't fail to mention that she and Xion were the only sophmores, and that the other four were seniors.

"So, when do we leave?" Xion asked as she shifted her fencing bag to her other shoulder.

"We leave on August 30th, so don't worry. It's a month away," Zexion assured her, rummaging around his backpack for his notes. "Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to go help Mr. Vexen with his new experiment."

"Good luck! Hope it doesn't blow up this time!" Naminé said. He flashed her a smile, and practically sprinted down the castle halls.

"One of the few times he ever sprints, and it's so he can help Mr. Vexen with an experiment!" Axel tsked.

"Come on, it's the reason he got into that school. Of course he wants to be there on time," Xion replied, and Naminé nodded in agreement. Zexion got in because of his brains; that was his talent, just like she had art, Xion had fencing, Axel had soccer, Demyx had his sitar-playing skills, and Larxene had karate. It was inevitable that he'd get in because of his brains.

"Whatever," Larxene yawned. "Damn, this orphanage is _boring_." Axel, Demyx, and Xion murmured an agreement. Naminé, however, didn't say anything. She was thinking about how she missed Roxas, Ven, Vanitas, Kairi…and Sora.

Oh, she missed Sora the most. They had known each other for, like, ever. Over the years, she had developed a crush on him, but never told him. She was sure it had turned into love, but once her parents had died, and she was transferred to The World That Never Was Orphanage, what her parents had founded years before, that love had haunted her. She pushed it down, down, down, until eventually it became a crush-or so she thought. (Of course, Xion didn't believe that. She'd seen the multiple drawings of the spiky haired boy her new friend admired so.) They had talked about trying to get into that school before the accident, so to know that she had got in and he probably didn't…well, it hurt to say the least.

But this was a new chapter in her life. She had to forget all about him.

Naminé shook her head, making the memories fade away, and put on a smile, confusing her friends. Sora? Who was he?

**It's so easy,**

**You disrupt me,**

**Can't complain.**

**It's so easy,**

**You disrupt me,**

**Can't complain.**

**It's so easy,**

**You disrupt me,**

**Can't complain.**

**It's so easy…**

**I'm gonna start all over.**

**START ALL OVER.**

A/N: Wow. That was…longer than most chapters I do.

Hi, guys. I should probably be working on The Truth, but since I haven't gotten reviews since my, er, avoidable absence (I'M SORRY!), I figured I should put this out. It's been an idea I've had for a while, and it's going to follow a pattern. Basically, Sora and Naminé, the two main characters, will each have a song for a chapter. Both songs will be by the same artist; in this case, Miley Cyrus. _Italics means Sora,_** Bolded means Naminé.** Does this makes sense? Ok, so…R&R, please!

Sora, Naminé, Roxas, Ven, Vanitas, Zexion, Axel, Demyx, Larxene, Xion © Square Enix and Disney.

_I Miss You_ and **Start All Over **© Miley Cyrus

Naminé's parents, Paopu Café, Sea-Salt Café, The World That Never Was Orphanage © kingdomdisney (ME =D)

Oh, and I saw I made a mistake regarding Naminé, Xion, Sora, Roxas, Ven, Vanitas, and Kairi's age. They are all 15, meaning they are sophomores. Sorry bout that.


	2. Taking Over Me and Going Under

God damnit! Sora, you are….augh! I can't take it anymore! You're everywhere I look! How can I forget you if you're always there? It's getting out of control!

I see you. I see you in my dreams! I see you when I'm awake! I see you every day!

And.

You're.

Taking.

Over.

Me!

Augh!

**Have you forgotten all I know,**

**And all we had?**

**You saw me mourning my love for you,**

**And touched my hand.**

**I knew you loved me then…**

"AUGH! GET…OUT…OF…MY…HEAD!" Naminé screeched, throwing her sketchpad across the room. She broke down into tears as she realized he was everywhere. She couldn't stop thinking about that caramel brown, spiky hair. She couldn't forget those azure eyes. She couldn't free herself from that tanned skin. She had to face the facts: Sora Irino was fucking everywhere!

"Naminé? You okay?" Xion asked, peeking her head in. The blonde glared up at her as she entered the room, closing the door behind her. "Listen, Vexen thinks that you're going through something. He didn't give me the details, but, since I'm the closest to you, he thought that you might take this a little easier if I said it." Xion looked into her friend's Carolina blue eyes with her Brandeis blue ones. When she realized her closest friend wasn't going to answer, she sighed, "He thinks you're obsessed."

Xion closed her eyes and braced herself for the rage that was sure to come. When she heard none, she opened them to see that Naminé had stepped in front of her, contemplating. She slowly nodded, and twirled a strand of her Sahara light blonde hair. Xion noticed that it was still over her right shoulder, and gave a breath of relief. She wasn't _that_ mad at her then. "It makes sense," Naminé mused, walking over to her sketchpad. "I _have_ been seeing him everywhere I go since we were told about our acceptance."

"You've been seeing him for a day," Xion replied in a monotone. "A _day_. And you've already sketched him at least forty times? Yeah, I _so_ don't see why Vexen thinks you're obsessed."

"Sarcasm will not be tolerated," a voice behind her said, and the poor girl nearly jumped out of her skin as Marluxia walked into Naminé's room. "Naminé, Vexen requests to see you in his lab. Zexion will be there, so you have no reason to be afraid of him harming you." The older girl nodded, and walked past the two of them, hoping that Marluxia wouldn't do anything in front of Xion, but he grabbed her arm and gave a squeeze, murmuring, "Hope you've toughened up. Wouldn't want you nearly passing out like last time." She stared up fearfully at him as he smirked at her and let go. She sprinted off, hoping to avoid questions from Xion. How could she tell her of the beatings she received almost every week?

"Ah, you're here nice and quick," Vexen said as he peered at her over his lab table. Zexion looked up from his notes and gave her a small smile before going back to reading. "So, I assume Xion told you?"

"Yes, she did. Mr. Vexen, um…" Naminé trailed off as she realized that she didn't know what to say. She wanted to ask him how to stop the abuse, but then realized that Marluxia would hurt her twice as much if he found out she had been a tattletale. She settled on, "How do we stop this obsession?"

"Well, my dear, that is simple. We make sure that if anyone starts thinking that the object of your infatuation is trespassing, they stop you and change you focus. That will slowly cause the hallucinations to go away," Vexen smiled at her. He'd always had a soft spot for the polite, quiet girl. He knew Luxord was like her father, but he liked to think of himself as an uncle for her.

"All right. Thanks, Mr. Vexen!" she called over her shoulder as she left. "Zexion, we're all going out to dinner tonight to celebrate Axel's birthday. Don't forget!"

"When do I ever?" he replied, not looking up. Naminé laughed, not looking where she was going, and ran into Marluxia.

"Oh, I'm-" she tried to apologize, but he grabbed her arm and whispered, "Tonight. My room. You know the drill." She nodded, and when he let go, she slung her hair back over her right shoulder, shuddering. Oh, how she hated the pink-haired man and the torture he put her through! The only thing that kept her going was his threats to her friends…especially the caramel-haired boy.

**I look in the mirror**

**And see your face,**

**If I look deep enough.**

**So many things inside**

**That are just like**

**You**

**Are**

**TAKING OVER**

_Now I will tell you_

_What I've done for you._

_Fifty thousand tears I've cried._

_Screaming,_

_Deceiving,_

_And bleeding for you._

_And you still won't hear me_

_Going under…_

"Sora! Sora Sora Sora Sora Sora Sora Sora Sora Sora Sora!" Ven called, tackling the poor boy to the-thankfully-carpeted floor. Sora grunted on contact, and his voice was muffled when he said, "Ven! Geroff!"

"Sorry," the blond said, offering his hand. Sora took it…and pulled him into a headlock. "Sora! Okay, okay, I've learned my lesson!" he laughs, pretending to struggle.

"Are you sure? Are you positive?" Sora teased, knowing full well that this will irk the blond. And he's right.

"I'm positively sure! Now lemme go!" Ven demanded, annoyed. Sora laughed and let the older twin go. He massaged his neck as he said, "Jesus Christ, you've got a grip!"

"I know," he smirked. "Now what's up?"

"Okay, well, Vanitas told me to tell you that he wants you home. It's about Kairi issues." Ven stuck his tongue out in disgust. He and the redhead didn't get along very well; they only put up with each other because of Vanitas (and in the past, the mermaid…)

Sora groaned. He _hated _dealing with relationship problems. If it was Sora's relationship, he'd tackle the problem head on. If it was someone else's, he'd run for cover. He wasn't exactly the most romantic person; just ask Selphie. "All right. I'm going. Hey, tell Roxas that if I die at Kairi's hand, read the last page in his book, kay?"

Ven stared at him, shocked. "You wrote in Roxas' book? Dude, that's suicide!"

"Well…when he reads it, he'll understand!" Sora countered before running off. Ven shook his head, muttering, "That boy is _so_ going to regret his actions one of these days."

"Vanitas? What's wrong?" Sora asked as he walked into his brother's room. The black haired boy looked up, and sighed, "I don't know. I just feel like…something's missing."

Sora sat next to him, and mused, "Well, you haven't insulted anyone in a while...Go on. Insult me."

Vanitas pushed him off the bed, saying, "No! That's the thing! I don't _want_ to insult anyone! Kairi was upset when I insulted Riku-as a joke, that time-and I haven't insulted anyone since to make her happy!"

"Well, there you go. There's what's missing. So do it when she's not around," Sora advised, getting back on. "So go on. Insult me. I'm your personal punching bag for the day."

"I don't know…" Vanitas muttered.

"Do it!"

"Well, your obsession with Naminé is becoming ridiculous, you're annoying, you're an accident waiting to happen…" Vanitas trailed off.

"It's a start. We'll do this until you're you again." Sora got up and went to the door before turning and saying, "Hey, can I ask you something?" Vanitas arched an eyebrow. "Is my obsession with…_her_…really annoying?"

"No. Well, as long as you only obsess in your room," he replied. He closed his gold eyes, saying, "Now I'm gonna sleep. Night."

"Vanitas, it's noon." Sora sighed as he realized his twin wouldn't care. "All right. Night." He left the room to go into his own. He shut the door behind him and slid down it, silently crying. "I miss you, Nam," he muttered, walking to his bedside table and picking up a photo.

It was of him and Naminé, an hour before they found out about her parents. They were lounging in Sora's room, and neither had realized that Vanitas had taken the photo, since they were sleeping. Naminé had her head on Sora's chest as they laid against the bedpost, and he had his arm slung over her shoulders with his head leaning on the bed. It was the last photo taken before she left.

The tears came even harder, yet he still made no sound. His mother wasn't home, so she couldn't comfort him like she usually would. His dad couldn't take him to the pool to help cheer him up because of his job. His brother was sleeping. He had no one but himself to cry to.

_Where are you?_

_I'm going under,_

_Drowning you._

_I'm falling forever;_

_I've got to break through._

_I'm_

_GOING UNDER._

**Thanks so much to Lady Sniper 0 for adding this to her favorites! And though I don't have any reviews yet (seriously, people? I know you're reading this!), I'm gonna continue with this.**

**Peace!**


	3. Never Be The Same and Breathe Into Me

Dream, _thoughts_, _**letter**_ (just to clear things up)

I'm still looking for you. You're my sunshine, after all. I need you here in these dark times. My powers are going out of control. Things will never be the same until you come back.

_I know you,_

_Who are you now?_

_Look into my eyes if you can't remember._

_Do you remember, oh?_

_I can see,_

_I can still find._

_You're the only voice my heart can recognize._

_But I can't hear you now, yeah._

Sora sighed as he threw his Blitzball at the wall. It just bounced back to him. It was mind-numbing, but hey, it was something to do, and it took Naminé off his mind.

There was a knock on the door, and his father walked in. "Hey, buddy. She still on your mind?"

"What do you think, Dad?" he replied, tossing the ball into the closet. Frowning, Mr. Irino wandered over to his bed and sat on the edge of it. "Look," he began, "I know I'm not the best at this, but…do you really want to see her?"

"Dad. That is the dumbest question anyone could possibly ask me. Of course I do!"

"Then what are you going to do when you see her? Sora, she didn't write to you or anyone when her parents died. Maybe it's time you realized that she wants to move on, and that means she wants to forget about the Islands. She's probably a completely different person than who she was when she left."

Sora glared at his dad. "How do you know that? Did Vanitas put you up to this?"

"No, Sora. But, I think you should look at this." Mr. Irino handed him a slip of paper. Sora took it and unfolded it, and his eyes widened as he read it. He angrily threw it at his dad and stormed out of the room.

Mr. Irino watched his son, and muttered, "It was for the best, son. The mermaid and the angel could never be together." He took the paper and read:

_**Mr. Irino:**_

___**We have been informed that you are the father of The Angel. If you are familiar with the legends, you know what damage The Angel will cause if he is in contact with The Mermaid. We are afraid we need your help in making sure that they don't see the other again. We need you to get rid of Mr. and Mrs. Nakahara. Use your imagination; just make sure that your son, Sora, never sees Naminé Nakahara again.**_

___**Yours,**_

___**Squall Leonhart.**_

Sora screamed in frustration at the sky. He was alone; no one would be disturbed. He, Vanitas, Roxas, and Ven were the only ones who ever went to the smaller island anymore. His father was responsible for the murder of Mr. and Mrs. Nakahara? His father was responsible for the past two years of his misery? His father?

Sora summoned his Angel Blade-or, as he and Naminé liked to call it, his Keyblade-and threw it at the Sea Shack. He didn't care about what form it was in; he knew it would be in Fatal Crest form, since he was pissed off…and upset. Why did his own father have to be involved in the fire?

Sora snorted. Of course. He should have seen it. Fire. Mr. Irino did like setting fire to things; but they said it had been caused by faulty wires, which would explain why the fire alarm didn't go off. _**Use your imagination**_; the wires part would be the imagination part.

Did Mrs. Irino know? Did Vanitas? Roxas? Ven? Was he the only one who didn't? No, he couldn't. Vanitas, Roxas, and Ven didn't know he was The Angel. He didn't tell anyone, except Naminé. Not even his parents knew, he thought. Well, except for his dad, but he couldn't think of him like that anymore. Not after what he did.

Sora groaned, and collapsed onto the soft sand. He had to find her. He had to find her, tell her. Say he was sorry about his father. Ask why she hadn't kept in contact. But first, he had to tell the cops. He had to tell the cops, and get that letter as evidence.

It was a plan.

But first…

_I'll never be the same._

_I'm caught inside the memories,_

_The promises,_

_Our yesterdays when I belong to you._

_I just can't walk away,_

_Cause after loving you_

_I can_

_NEVER BE THE SAME._

**And this is how it feels when I**

**Ignore the words you spoke to me.**

**And this is where I lose myself when**

**I keep running away from you.**

**And this is who I am when…**

**When I don't know myself anymore.**

**And this is what I choose when**

**It's all left up to me.**

Naminé Nakahara never cried.

She was a tough cookie. She prided herself on her strong will. But for the love of all that's holy, Marluxia's punches fucking _hurt_!

"You don't like that, do you?" Marluxia asked, pleasure prominent in his monotone voice. "Well, maybe you'll like this!" He gave her a swift kick to her stomach, and the wind left her, causing her to be breathless. Blood was already pouring down her arms from when he cut her with the knives, and she was starting to feel faint.

This was always what happened. He'd beat her, cut her, until she was close to passing out, then he'd leave her alone-until the wounds healed and the bruises were gone.

It was fucking hell.

"Aw, the poor baby's going to pass out," he crooned. "Well, I guess I'll leave you alone-for now." With a cackle, he gave her one more kick, and left. Tears streamed down her face as she tried to get up to go to Vexen, but the pain caused her to go back down with a cry.

"Naminé? Naminé!" Xion's voice cried out, scared. The door creaked open, and the world went black.

"Naminé? Come on, Nam, you have to wake up! How will we save the world if you don't?"

_Sora?_Naminé blinked her eyes open, hoping to see the boy standing in front of her. Instead, she saw Vexen and Luxord standing over her, worried.

"Naminé, how long has this been going on?" Luxord asked slowly.

"What do you mean?" she asked, her voice hoarse.

"The beatings. How long?" Vexen demanded.

Naminé shifted her eyes away before she whispered, "Ever since I came."

"How the hell did you hide it?" Luxord cried, and she winced. "Come on, Naminé, I know you're smart. How the hell did you hide it, and why?"

"I enlisted Xion's help, and I did because if I told, the beatings would get worse. But don't blame Shi-Shi! She thought I was suicidal, and told Mr. Xemnas!" she begged, desperation evident in her eyes.

"She couldn't have told Xemnas. He would have told me if you were suicidal," Luxord muttered, staring at her through narrowed eyes.

"Leave the girl alone, Luxord," Vexen intervened. "It's obvious that it was Marluxia's doing, and Marluxia has a hold over him. Now leave, I need the patient to go to sleep. Sleep will make everything feel better."

Naminé couldn't have agreed more. If it wasn't for the dream, that is.

"Nam! Nam! Come on out, Nam! This isn't funny!"

Naminé giggled at her best friend-turned crush's expression. His lip was out in a fake pout as he tried to find her…and his birthday present.

It was tradition. If it was either of their birthdays, the other would run and hide with it until the other found them. And every year, Naminé's hiding spots kept getting better and better.

Taking pity on the poor boy, she called out in a spooky voice "Sora! Soooooooraaaaaaaa Iriiiiiiiiiiiinooooooooo!"

Sora grinned and pretended to think. "Hm…I still haven't checked behind the Sea Shack!" And with that, he ran over to the giggling girl and cried, "Found ya!"

"Happy 13th Birthday, Sora!" she giggled, handing him a prettily wrapped box. He grinned and gave her a hug and…a kiss on the cheek? Naminé raised an eyebrow, but he didn't notice, as he was trying not to destroy the bow while opening his gift. She shrugged it off, and gently helped Sora tug on the ribbon, and it worked! Grinning, Sora took the ribbon off the sand, and took Naminé's hand, pulling her towards him.

"What're you doing?" she asked warily, but he didn't reply. He just took the hair tie off her wrist and tied her hair into a high ponytail. Sora then tied the ribbon around the hair tie and smiled at his handiwork.

"You should stop hiding behind your hair," he chastised teasingly. "You're face is too pretty."

She couldn't figure out if she meant that seriously or jokingly because he looked down to finish unwrapping his gift. His jaw dropped when he saw what she had gotten him.

"No. Freaking. Way," he breathed.

"Happy Birthday!" she cried, and he pulled her into a hug, the game EPIC MICKEY-which was still in production on Earth at that point-pressing against her back. "Thank you," he murmured, smiling. She smiled, and grinned back, happy.

Neither had any idea that in a week she would be an orphan.

**Breathe your life into me;**

**I can feel you.**

**I'm falling,**

**Falling faster.**

**Breathe your life into me;**

**I still need you.**

**I'm falling,**

**Falling-**

**Breathe into me.**

**BREATHE INTO ME.**

**HELLO!**

**Okay, thank you Christopher Scott for reviewing. It's much appreciated! :D Anyway, I realized something about last chapter. I FORGOT THE DISCLAIMER. So, last chapter's songs © Evanescence. (sp.?)**

**This chapter's songs © Red-a brilliant band.**

**Sora, Naminé, Vanitas, Roxas, Ven, the Keyblade, Squall Leonhart, Destiny Islands, Marluxia, Luxord, Vexen, and Xemnas © Sqaure Enix.**

**Epic Mickey © Disney and Nintendo**

**Mr. and Mrs. Irino, Mr. and Mrs. Nakahara, and The Angel, and The Mermaid idea © kingdomdisney (ME! :D)**

**TOODLES!**


	4. Hopeless and Diary of Jane Naminé

This is pathetic.

I can't stop running from my problems. I can't run from the fact that I love you, Sora. I can't run from Marluxia. I can't run from being The Mermaid. I need to stop running.

I need to stop feeling hopeless.

**Here I lie forever.**

**Sorrow still remains.**

**Will the water pull me down,**

**And wash it all away?**

**Come and take me over-**

**Welcome to the game.**

**Will the current drag me down,**

**And carry me away?**

**Suddenly, the light begins to fade…**

Naminé blinked her eyes open, and winced. She still hurt.

_Fuck you, Marluxia_, she thought-growled. She didn't bother trying to move; she'd learned from the first beating that it was best to fake a fever, and have Xion take care of her.

"Ah, you're awake," Vexen greeted, his shoes clacking.

Oh, yeah. Except Vexen and Luxord now know about the beatings.

Oh shit, Vexen and Luxord now know about the beatings.

"Now, Xemnas has changed schedules around to make sure that Marluxia never touches you. You now will share a room with Xion and Larxene, and an employee will now be with you every second. That, or your friends. I think your friends will most likely be with you every second," Vexen informed her. She smiled. Did Xemnas really care that much?

"Now, I need you to stay put. Would you like anything?" Vexen kindly asked. After a moment of thought, and a realization that she couldn't draw in this state, she decided that TV would be the best thing to do. She nodded at the remote, and Vexen asked, "What channel? Food Network?"

Good enough.

She burrowed deeper into her pillows, and settled down to watch Food Network Challenge. Ooh, her favorite show! Well, on Food Network, anyway.

She smiled as she thought of what she and Sora would do during this show. The two would watch until the end, and then try and bake the same flavor cake that won. It more often than not ended up in a flour fight, and help from Mrs. Nakahara.

Tears rolled down her face as she thought of her mother. She had the same blonde hair as her, the facial features, and the same pale complexion; it's just that Marianna Nakahara had chocolate brown eyes.

She was still crying when the door quietly opened and shut, and Xion came over. She didn't say anything, just brushed Naminé's hair away from the wetness.

"I'm sorry that we had to meet in the orphanage. If we had met at TTST, maybe life would be better," she murmured. "I'm not sad about the fact that we're friends; I'm just sad that it wasn't under better circumstances."

"We all feel like that," Naminé rasped. Xion wiped the tears away and asked, "Who?"

"My mom," was the reply.

"I brought a movie and popcorn. We can still have our movie night, just without the karaoke dance part," Xion stated, bringing out _The Little Mermaid_, Naminé's second favorite Disney movie (the first being_ The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea_).

As Ariel sang to Prince Eric on the beach, she realized how much the original story was like hers. The Mermaid fell in love with The Angel-except Eric was a human, not The Angel-and gave something up to be with him, but she ended up losing him. She wished that her story could be more like the Disney version.

She wanted a happy ending.

**HOPLESS!**

**I'm falling down.**

**Filthy!**

**I can't wake up.**

**I cannot hold on.**

**I will not let go.**

**Worthless!**

**It's over now.**

**Guilty!**

**There is no way out.**

**I cannot hold on.**

**I will not let go.**

_If I had to,_

_I would put myself right beside you._

_So let me ask,_

_Would you like that?_

_Would you like that?_

_And I don't mind_

_If you say this love is the last time._

_So now I'll ask,_

_Do you like that?_

_Do you like that?_

_No!_

Sora didn't tell anyone what he was doing. Hell, if he did, Vanitas would tell Kairi, Roxas would try to help him, and Ven would no doubt tell Mr. Irino. He had to do this alone, and Mr. Irino would try to stop him.

Sora had stopped thinking of Mr. and Mrs. Irino as his parents, but Vanitas was still his brother and best guy friend. He would have enlisted his help, if he didn't have to do this on his own, and for the fact that no one could know.

He walked over to the remains of the Nakahara house. The government had decided that no one could move any of the ashes or rebuild on this property (except for the big dome surrounding the area so the ashes wouldn't fly away), since the Nakaharas had been such a powerful family. In fact, the only way you could enter the dome was with a pass.

Which Sora had.

He'd been given it since he had been Naminé's best friend, and he always carried it with him as a reminder of his goal-to find her.

He inserted the card, and was given access. He stepped inside, and the invisible door closed behind him. He looked around the property; it was so familiar, yet so foreign, probably because there was no mansion. No pure white mansion, with the yellow roof, or the red doors. No fountain with the family, plus Sora, spitting water into the well. The Nakahara family had considered Sora a part of the family, he was there so often. They often went to Naminé's house, since it was bigger, and there was so much more to do than at the Irino's apartment.

He walked over to the ashes. How did Mr. Irino mess with the wires? Sora had looked the blueprint of the mansion before coming here, and concluded that he had messed with the control box, which, for some reason, was in the shed 100 feet away from the mansion. Everything had burned, except for the bodies of Mr. and Mrs. Nakahara, which confused everyone but Sora and Naminé, who had placed a charm on both of their families the moment they found out about their powers. It was all they could do-stop them from burning. Otherwise, the two would be dead, and where would that put the world?

Sora looked at the remains. He needed to see how Mr. Irino had messed with the wires. He then saw something-a speck of blue. He ran over to it, and saw that it was a blueprint of the shed. But how did it get here? He looked up to see his mother standing there. "Wha-" he asked, but she put a finger to his lips.

"I'm not your mother. I merely took her form to make you more comfortable. My name is Aqua, and I don't agree with Leon. The Angel and The Mermaid can live together! They have to!"

"Could you, um, not look like my mom, but like yourself? It's kind of unnerving," Sora asked, uncomfortable. She smiled, and nodded, and there was a flash of blue, and there was a woman with blue hair and blue eyes who resembled Kairi in a weird way.

"I'll see you in Twilight Town," she smiled at him, before disappearing in a flash of blue.

"Okay…" Sora muttered (A/N: like he did in The Underworld and Demyx screamed, "Run! Run away!") before turning back to the blueprint. There was no way Mr. Irino had messed with the wires to cause a fire.

Wait!

He dug into his pockets and took out the newspaper article on the fire. He read furiously, and then did a victory dance in his head. He had misread it!

_**After close inspection, it was revealed that the wires in the shed had been clipped, and all electricity in the house was shut off, which would be why the fire alarm didn't go off. It was revealed that a match had been lit, and set fire to the house, but the match was quickly disposed of, and the person who cut the wire had worn gloves, leaving behind no fingerprints. The police burned the shed after inspection, upon request from Naminé Nakahara, saying, "I don't want to be reminded of the fact that my parents are dead because of out mistake of putting the control box in a separate shed." Nakahara left the next day for The World That Never Was Orphanage, an orphanage her parents co-founded.**_

So that's how it happened!

Sora got up and looked around, and jumped. "Riku?"

"Hey, Sora. You saw Aqua?" he greeted.

"Y-Yeah. Wait, how did-"

"I'm part of The Resistance, stationed in Destiny Islands. There's at least one in each town. We're the ones trying to bring The Angel and The Mermaid together again," he explained.

"So, you-you want to help me see Naminé again?" Sora couldn't believe it. Someone on the Islands didn't think it was a bad idea for him to see Naminé again?

"Yeah. Don't be so surprised," he laughed. "Just, don't put your dad in jail. It'd be a bad idea." With that, he left.

Sora looked back at the ashes, and decided to take Riku's advice. He pocketed the article and the blueprint, and decided that he'd figure out where this orphanage was.

_Something's getting in the way._

_Something's just about to break._

_I will try to find my place_

_In the _

_DIARY OF JANE. (NAMINÉ)_

**Why hello there!**

**Okay, thanks again Christopher Scott for reviewing!**

**Songs © Breaking Benjamin**

**Characters © Sqaure Enix and Disney**

**Thanks again!**


	5. Breakaway and Never Again

My mind's made up. I'm gonna find you, Nami. I'm gonna breakaway from this small town, just like we always wanted. And then, we can catch up and train together, and maybe…just maybe become what I've always wanted.

Maybe we'd become a couple.

_Grew up in a small town,_

_And when the rain would fall down,_

_I'd just stare out my window,_

_Dreaming of what could be,_

_And if I'd end up happy,_

_I would pray._

_Trying hard to reach out,_

_But when I tried to reach out,_

_Felt like no one would hear me._

_Wanted to belong here,_

_But something felt so wrong here,_

_So I prayed,_

_I could breakaway._

Sora looked up at the sign, and muttered to himself, "Soon. Soon, I'll find her."

"Sora!" He turned to see Vanitas, Roxas, Ven, Riku, and Kairi running towards him.

"Sora, what the fuck are you doing?" Vanitas demanded. "Why-"

"I have to," Sora interrupted.

"Why? Why do you have to leave the islands?" Ven raised an eyebrow.

"Do you know what it's like to be able to do something, and only one other person understands? And then that person is taken away from you? What would you do?" Sora muttered. Riku gave him a sharp look, but Kairi cried, "What the hell are you talking about?"

"Is this about Naminé? Sora, she's not coming back," Roxas snapped. Vanitas gave him a sharp look, and muttered, "Roxas…"

"She may not be, but now I know where she is! I've gotta go!" Sora shot back, turning away. He was about to run off, but Riku grabbed him by the wrist. "Give them a break," he muttered. Sora looked up at him and whispered, "I thought you were trying to help me."

"I am, but you have to give them a better explanation than that," was the reply. Sora sighed, and shook the silveret off before looking at his friends. He sighed, "I'm sorry, guys. It's just…she's-"

"We know she's important. Just let us help you," Vanitas intervened. Sora's head shot up in surprise. Vanitas smirked. "You didn't think you'd lose us that easy, did ya?"

"Guys…" Sora was touched, but he couldn't accept. "I'm sorry. I've got to do this on my own."

"At least let me come with you," Kairi begged. "She was my best girl friend. I've got to see her."

"Once I find her, I'll let you know. I'm really sorry, guys," Sora smiled sadly.

_"13:00 Twilight Town train boarding in 1 minute,"_ the lady over the loudspeaker called.

"That's me," Sora said. He looked at his friends, and grinned. "See you soon." He was about to walk off when Vanitas grabbed him in a bear hug.

"Come back soon, bro," he muttered. Sora returned the gesture, and tears welled up at the thought that, for the first time, he and Vanitas weren't going to be sleeping under the same roof. "I will," he muttered. He pulled away, and gave Roxas, Ven, and Riku a handshake and Kairi a hug. He turned and sprinted over to the gate and jumped on the train. He sat down in a window seat, and looked out the window. He waved at his friends and brother, and they waved back, with a tear trailing down Vanitas' cheek. Sora felt one sliding down his own, but he quickly wiped it away, thinking to himself, _Come on, you're going to Naminé!_

"I'll miss you, Sora," Sora heard Vanitas whisper. Smiling, knowing that his Angel powers were in effect, he fogged up the glass and wrote _I'll miss you, too, Vanitas._ He laughed at Vanitas' shocked face as the train rolled away and waved, thinking, _Maybe…one day…we'll all be together again._

_I'll spread my wings,_

_And I'll learn how to fly;_

_I'll do what it takes,_

'_Til I touch the sky,_

_And I'll_

_Make a wish,_

_Take a chance,_

_Make a change,_

_And breakaway._

_Out of the darkness_

_And into the sun,_

_But I won't forget_

_All the ones that I love._

_I'll take a risk,_

_Take a chance,_

_Make a change,_

_And BREAKAWAY._

**Does it hurt**

**To know I'll never be there?**

**Bet it sucks**

**To see my face everywhere!**

**It was you**

**Who chose to end it like you did.**

**I was the last to know.**

**You knew**

**Exactly what you were doing.**

**Don't say**

**You "simply lost your way."**

**They may believe you,**

**But I never will.**

**Never again.**

Naminé groaned as she blinked her eyes open. "Can I talk?" she muttered. That was a yes. "Still can't move, though," she murmured. She looked over to see Xion sleeping in the hospital bed next to hers. She smiled, knowing Xion had probably been up all night until Vexen came in and gave her a sleeping pill-most likely in the hot cocoa on the table.

Vexen poked his head around the corner, and smiled when he saw Naminé was awake and Xion was still sleeping. He disappeared, and came back with two whiteboards and markers. He opened the blue one, and she opened her mouth. He put the non-writing part in her mouth, and gave her the whiteboard on suspended clipboard. He wrote with the silver marker on his: _Can you talk?_

Yes.

_ Can you move anything besides your head?_

No.

_ How are you feeling?_

Better.

He nodded his head, taking notes. He smiled at her, took the marker and the whiteboard, and walked out, but not before giving her an iPod Touch on shuffle. She smiled as she heard Kelly Clarkson's _Never Again_ playing in her ears, but she wished that she was listening to Paramore's _Brick by Boring Brick_. Meh, it'd come on sooner or later.

She nodded her head to the beat, realizing how much it sounded like her and Marluxia's relationship. The news was that he had Xemnas and Saïx wrapped around his finger, and that he was working on Larxene. She really hoped that he'd fail, and that the others would knock some sense into Xemnas and Saïx. He was the devil in disguise.

Naminé looked over at Xion. If he managed to worm his way into Larxene's mind, he'd be able to go into Xion's. She wasn't trying to be mean, but Xion was kind of gullible.

She sighed, and laid her head onto her pillow. She wished that she could run her hand through her hair or just do _something_! She even wished that she could "accidentally" kiss Sora again. She settled with singing along to Kelly Clarkson, singing,

"**Never again**

**Will I miss you.**

**Never again**

**Will I fall to you.**

**Never-**

**Never again**

**Will I kiss you.**

**Never again**

**Will I want to.**

**NEVER AGAIN**

**Will I love you.**

**Never!"**

**OMIGOSH, I'M SORRY!**

**School has been taking up my life-especially Physics. I hate Physics. But that's not the point! Point is, I'm really sorry that this took a while, and I really hope that this made up for it. Thanks to Christopher Scott, .time, and maxeyn for reviewing, and to AlyssaLioness for the favorite! And to those who read, but don't review: thanks for reading, but please review!**

**Sora, Naminé, Vanitas, Roxas, Ven, Kairi, Riku, Xion Vexen, Marluxia, Xemnas, Saïx, and Larxene © Square Enix and Disney.**

**Breakaway and Never Again © Kelly Clarkson**

**Brick by Boring Brick © Paramore**


	6. 4th of July and Acapella

Didn't think I'd say that I miss you, but I do. I thought that I had gotten over you, thought I'd never see you again, but I'm wrong a lot, aren't I? And now, my heart is like the USA on the 4th of July…

**Didn't think I needed you.**

**Never seemed to.**

**But I'm living proof**

**And now I'm brand new.**

**Rename me.**

**Baby, claim me.**

**I've been changed, see?**

**You make me over.**

**You make me over.**

Naminé groaned as someone tapped her shoulder. "I'm sleeping, go away," she mumbled.

"Now that's not a nice way to treat your friends, now, is it, Demyx?"

"No, Axel, I think not."

Naminé's eyes shot open to see Axel and Demyx standing over her. "Omigosh, where have you two been? Everyone else visited," she pouted.

"Everyone else hasn't been trapped in their rooms because of Axel's birthday prank," Demyx pointed out. Naminé grinned, remembering Xaldin's dreadlocks on fire.

"I still can't believe you were willing to help, Dem," she stated, sitting up.

"It was his seventeenth; what was I supposed to do? He's only here for another year," he replied.

"So are you," Axel retorted.

"Not until November."

"Guys!" Naminé practically shouted. The two winced; they were right next to her. "Why does this always happen?" she groaned. The two gave her a sheepish smile. "Well, how's freedom?"

"Nice. Wish you'd come out, though. We miss our artist," Axel grinned at her. Naminé smiled back.

"Axel, Demyx! Come on, we have to go!" Larxene cried, popping her head in. "You ok?"

"Better. I might be out soon," Naminé replied. Larxene smirked, and walked off. "Where are you guys going?"

"Dunno, Larxene said she has a surprise for us, and I'm scared," Demyx said as he stood up. "Well, see ya later!"

"Bye, guys," she said as the two walked off. She nestled back into her pillows, and she was nearly asleep when she felt someone stroke her bangs off her face and mutter, "So you still hide behind your hair, huh?" Her eyes shot open, and there, leaning over her, was-

"S-Sora?"

**You make me high,**

**Just like the sky,**

**Like the 4****th**** of July,**

**And I don't wanna come down.**

**You make me high,**

**Just like the sky,**

**Like the 4****th**** of July,**

**And I don't wanna come down.**

**You make me high,**

**Just like the sky,**

**Like the 4****th**** of July,**

**And I don't wanna come down.**

**You make me high,**

**Just like the sky,**

**Like the 4****TH**** OF JULY.**

_I was walking,_

_Was living,_

_My melody was acapella._

_There's a beat I was missing,_

_No tune,_

_Or a scale_

_I could play._

_The sound in the distance,_

_No orchestra playing together._

_Like a boat out to sea,_

_The silence was too deafening._

Sora stepped off the train and breathed in the smell of Twilight Town. _Smells like fall_, he thought as he walked to the bus stop. "Hi, um, does this bus go to The World That Never Was Orphanage?" he asked a girl who was sitting there. She nodded. "Thanks."

"Orphan?" she asked. He looked at her and replied, "Who, me? No, I'm going to find a friend."

"Same."

"Really?" She nodded. "I'm Sora."

"Fuu," she replied.

"Nice to meet ya. You live here?" he asked. She nodded. "Do you go to Twilight Town School for the Talented, or do you go to a different one?"

"TTST for poetry," she answered. She handed him a piece of paper, and as he read it, his eyes widened. "Holy shit. You're good." Fuu gave him a small smile. Sora grinned back, saying, "I'm going there for music and combat. So are my brother and cousins."

"You're the two-ers?"

"The who-ers?"

"Two-ers. Two subjects. Only four."

"Yeah, that's us," Sora grinned. The bus arrived, and the two talked-well, Sora did most of the talking-for the whole trip. The bus arrived an hour later.

"Bye, Fuu. See ya September 1st," Sora called over his shoulder as he sprinted to the door.

"Good-bye," she called, and Sora knew she was watching him with those red eyes of her. Thank you, Angel powers. _Wonder who she's looking for…_

"Name," a big, burly man stated as he blocked his path.

"U-uh, Sora Irino, sir. I'm looking for Naminé Nakahara," he stammered, yet he was confident he was at the right place.

The man's eyes widened as he said, "You're Sora? Wow, you're really here?"

"Yeah?" Sora replied, raising an eyebrow.

"I'm Lexaeus, one of the caretakers. I'll call Larxene over, and she'll take you to her. Just be careful with her, okay?"

"Why? What happened?" Of course, Sora didn't need to ask, as his Angel powers had found her and already knew what had happened, but why hadn't she tapped into her Mermaid abilities?

"We didn't realize that one of our caretakers had been beating her. Apparently, this caretaker has been doing it since Day 1, and our leader was always persuaded by him that he hadn't been doing it to her, but she had been doing it to herself. A few days ago, one of her friends came in after the beating, hearing her screams. We don't know how he managed to hide her screams, or how she was able to hide her wounds," Lexaeus explained. Ah. She had been using her Mermaid tricks, but for the wrong problems. Silly Nam.

"Who's the shrimp?" a voice called. Sora looked up to see a tall girl with bright yellow hair and…antennae?...walking over, her heels clacking on the ground.

"It's Sora," Lexaeus informed her. The girl's green eyes widened, and she cried, "Sora? Well, finally! I'm Larxene, the fourth orphan brought in. Naminé was fifth. Come on, I'll take you to her hospital bed." Larxene turned on her heel and walked off, and Sora sprinted to catch up to her, yelling a quick good-bye to Lexaeus.

"Yo, Larxe! Who's the kid? He an orphan?" a red haired boy hollered, with a boy who had an Andre Agassi style haircut next to him.

"It's Sora!" she hollered back. Their eyes widened, and they sprinted over.

"You're Sora? Thank the gods! Thought you'd never turn up! The name's Axel, got it memorized?" the redhead introduced.

"I'm Demyx. Hey, did you get into TTST?" the Andre Agassi hairdo mimicker asked.

"Yeah, why?" Sora asked, scared. Did they not like that school?

The two orphan boys looked at each other, then cried-at the same time, mind you-"Holy fucking shit."

"We all got in. Oh, and in case you were wondering, Axel came second, Demyx third. They're really quite close," Larxene explained. Sora nodded in understanding. "Okay, so you two were on your way to see her, right?" The two boys nodded. "Well, you two are gonna go talk to her. When one of you says, 'We miss our artist,' I'm going to butt in and make you two leave. Then, Sora over here is going to come in and have his talk-but she's going to have to be nearly asleep, or distracted enough not to see him. Got it?" Demyx nodded, and Axel replied, "Piece of cake."

The four walked over to the hospital wing, and Axel and Demyx gave Sora and Larxene the thumbs up, and walked in. Sora leaned against the wall, tapping into his Angel powers to listen in.

"I'm sleeping, go away." That would be Naminé, of course.

"Now that's not a nice way to treat your friends, now, is it, Demyx?"

"No, Axel, I think not."

"Omigosh, where have you two been? Everyone else visited." _Ha ha, of course Nam._

"Everyone else hasn't been trapped in their rooms because of Axel's birthday prank," Demyx countered.

"I still can't believe you were willing to help, Dem," Naminé replied.

"It was his seventeenth; what was I supposed to do?" he answered. "He's only here for another year."

"So are you," Axel shot back.

"Not until November."

"Guys!" Naminé shouted. "Why does this always happen? Well, how's freedom?"

"Nice. Wish you'd come out, though. We miss our artist," Axel said. Sora motioned for Larxene to go in, and she put her head in, saying, "Axel! Demyx! Come on, we have to go! You ok?"

"Better. I might be out soon." _No, not until August 22, Nam_. "Where are you guys going?"

"Dunno, Larxene said she has a surprise for us, and I'm scared. Well, see ya later!" Demyx said. He and Axel walked out. Larxene peeked her head in, and nodded at Sora to go in. He set his backpack down on the ground, and tiptoed in, motioning for them to leave. Axel gave him a thumbs up, and the trio left. He smiled, and leaned over her. She was even more beautiful than he remembered. He brushed her bangs away from her face and murmured, "So you still hide behind your hair, huh?"

Naminé's eyes shot open and stared into his own as she gasped, "S-Sora?"

_So come and revive me,_

_I can't feel my heartbeat-_

_Just me surviving alone._

_Before you,_

_My whole life was acapella._

_Now a symphony's_

_The only song to sing._

_Before you,_

_My whole was acapella._

**HEY GUYS!**

**Okay, thank you to AlyssaLioness, maxeyn, and Christopher Scott for reviewing! This is actually a kind of quick update! :D**

**So anyways, thanks to you all. I have nothing to bitch about, so...I guess I'm going to end this lol.**

**So, since I'm sick of doing this disclaimer, I think I'll have my sister do it.**

**kd's sis: What am I saying?**

**kd: That I don't own the songs or the characters or the places, just the story,**

**kd's sis: Why?**

**kd: So we're not sued.**

**kd's sis: Okay...? kingdomdisney doesn't own anything except the storyline. Happy?**

**kd: Very :D**

**kd's sis: Freak.  
**


	7. Paparazzi and Poker Face

Why are you pushing me away? I just found you…why are you doing this? What do you want me to do?

Whatever. From now on, I'm going to be your own personal paparazzi, so we can catch up where we left off when you left. Watch out, Naminé. You better be ready.

_We are the crowd._

_We're c-coming out._

_Got my flash on, it's true._

_Need that picture of you,_

_It's so magical._

_We'd be so fantastical._

_Leather and jeans,_

_Garage glamorous._

_Not sure what it means,_

_But this photo of us,_

_It don't have a price._

_Ready for those flashing lights._

Sora frowned, thinking about the past few days at The World That Never Was Orphanage. Naminé was refusing to talk to him (she was too nice to say this to his face; he'd listened in on her conversation with Xion), and he had no idea why. Well, only one thing to do.

In reality, there was one other option, but there was no way in hell that he was leaving.

Sora marched over to Naminé's hospital room, and demanded, "Okay, tell me why you're ignoring me!"

She didn't even look up from her book. He reached over, took it out of her hands, and put his face where it was, only to see that she had closed her eyes. He growled something unintelligible. He took a deep breath to calm himself down and murmured, "Naminé. Please. I'm begging you to speak to me, look at me, something!"

Nothing.

He sighed, set her book in her lap, and left. Tears welled up in his eyes. _What did I do?_ he thought as he started to run. He sprinted out of the hospital, out of the orphanage, and into the forest. He started to lose control of his emotions, and the barrier that had kept his form back broke with a loud _snap!_

Sora became encased in light, and the wind whirled around him. He didn't grit his teeth when he felt the pain encase his back; he embraced it. His hair became striped with aqua, and his clothes floated away, and light became a loose, long-sleeved white shirt and loose white pants. His shoes floated away, and he ran barefoot. White wings thrust out of his back, and there was a loud _riiiiiiiiip!_ as they ripped his skin and his shirt.

Sora grinned, feeling the exhilaration surge through him, and he felt the power of the air possess him as he jumped and flew up into the sky. He looped a couple of times, laughing giddily. He felt like he was a different person…like he was Squall again.

He snorted, thinking of Naminé…his Quistis. Why does she reject this? This…this power? Why does she reject what they could be?

He smiled, an idea forming in his head. He held his hand out in front of his face, and stopped mid-air. The wind swirled in his hand, until it took the shape of a camera. He furrowed his brow in concentration, and the wind was no longer wind, but an actual camera. Sora grinned, and floated back to the ground. He closed his eyes, and rebuilt the emotional barrier. The wind went still, the stillest it will ever be where the Angel was concerned.

Watch out Naminé. He's going to follow you until you love him.

_I'm your biggest fan,_

_I'll follow you until you love me-_

_Papa-Paparazzi._

_Baby, there's no other superstar._

_You know that I'll be_

_Your papa-paparazzi._

_Promise I'll be kind,_

_But I won't stop until that girl is mine._

_Baby, you'll be famous,_

_Chase you down until you love me._

_Papa-PAPARAZZI._

**I wanna hold him like they do in Texas, please.**

**Fold him,**

**Let him hit me,**

**Raise it,**

**Baby stay with me (I love it)**

**Love game intuition,**

**Play the cards with spades to start.**

**And after he's been hooked,**

**I'll play the one that's on his heart.**

**(Oh, oh, ohhh, oh, ohhhhhhhh, oh, oh-e-oh, oh, oh)**

**I'll get him hot,**

**Show him what I got.**

**(Oh, oh, ohhh, oh, ohhhhhhhh, oh, oh-e-oh, oh, oh)**

**I'll get him hot,**

**Show him what I got.**

Naminé groaned as Sora left the room. Tears welled up as she stared at her copy of _Little Women_-her favorite book. Sora had found it when they were ten, and thought that she would like it. It ended up being her favorite book ever.

Sora. Why was she ignoring him? It was because she didn't want to have the heartbreak she had when she left. She thought she'd never see him again. She thought that she was over him-and then he showed up. He waltzed back into her life, just when she was okay after two years. Why was fate cruel to her?

She felt a gust of wind.

The window wasn't open.

Shit.

Naminé looked out the window to see light coming from and surrounding the forest. _Damn it, Sora_, she thought-groaned. _You're using your Angel powers here?_ She shook her head and flopped back into her pillows. She thought about Sora's attempts to reach out today. He'd actually begged. Sora never begged unless he was either passionate or desperate. She guessed that he was desperate today.

Oh, her heart was aching! She felt herself shaking, and was close to getting up and heading over to the man-made lake and becoming the Mermaid when she grabbed the squishy ball on her bedside table and squeezed it over and over and over again.

No. She wouldn't be Quistis. Never again.

**Can't read my,**

**Can't read my,**

**No he can't read my**

**Poker face.**

**(She's got to love nobody)**

**Can't read my,**

**Can't read my,**

**No, he can't read my**

**Poker Face.**

**(She's got to love nobody)**

**P-P-P-Poker face,**

**P-P-P-Poker face.**

**P-P-P-Poker face,**

**P-P-P-POKER FACE.**

** Hello! :D**

** Alrighty, thanks to Christopher Scott and maxeyn for reviewing! It's much appreciated :D !**

** Okay, so sorry this is up late (again). I've been bugged down with homework (I was actually only able to work on this because I'm sick D: ), you know what it's like. I still hate Physics. So, so, so much, but it's getting better.**

** And yes, the Angel makes an appearance! The Mermaid would have, but she's a stubborn little girl.**

** So, what role do Squall and Quistis play? You'll just have to wait and find out! :D**

** Kingdom Hearts © Disney and Square Enix**

** Squall and Quistis © Square Enix**

** Storyline © ME! :D**


	8. What's My Age Again? and Down

Okay, Sora, you win. I give up trying to ignore you. You're too noticeable for me NOT to notice you. But be warned: I don't care what you say, I will not be Quistis.

So, since Quistis doesn't matter…what's my age again?

**Took her out,**

**It was a Friday night.**

**I walk alone**

**To get the feeling right.**

**We started making out,**

**And she took off my pants,**

**But then I turned on the TV.**

Naminé sighed as she put down her sketchpad-yes, she was finally able to draw again, thank King-no, thank God. She was sketching Sora, yet again, but in his Angel form-and she was the Mermaid. She was half tempted to rip it out and destroy it, but she decided against it. Why, she didn't know, but she neatly ripped it out and placed it in the drawer beside her. She glanced at her calendar-August 1. A week after Sora had arrived.

She sighed, and pressed a big red button. Vexen and Xion walked in, both ready. "Just Xion." Vexen walked out, and Xion sat down in the chair next to the bed. "Shi-Shi, I need you to talk to Sora. Tell him that three year olds can be badass. He better watch out." She raised an eyebrow, but nodded and walked out.

Naminé smirked. Yes, Sora. Three year olds can be badass. You better watch out.

Because Quistis may never be coming back, but Naminé is the one who's going to show the world just what the Mermaid is made of.

There was a knock on the door, and in walked Zexion. "Hello, Naminé. I was wondering if you would mind helping me," he greeted, sitting next to her, pen and book in hand.

"Sure, whaddup?" she replied, nestling deeper into her pillows.

"I need you to answer these questions as best you can." She sat up as he handed her the book and pen. He looked through her sketchpad as she scribbled down the answers. "What is this?" Naminé looked up as he pointed to the drawing of the photo of her and Sora before they learned of the accident-the same one in Sora's room.

"Oh, it's a drawing of a photo-it's taped up in the upper-left corner." She looked back at the questions as Zexion asked, "And who took it?"

"His brother, Vanitas."

"And why are you sleeping?"

"Because finals had just ended and we were exhausted. Do you want me to answer these questions or not?" Zexion shut up after that, and decided to keep leafing through her sketchbook.

"Hey, Naminé?"

"Hm?"

"Why are you ignoring Sora?"

"Because the memories hurt too much…"

"You'll have to face it eventually-he's never going to leave you now."

"What are you talking about?"

"He's not leaving the orphanage, and he's going to the same school as us."

"HE GOT INTO TTST?" Naminé was having a full-out panic attack now. He was what?

"Yes, for his music and combat abilities," Zexion replied, gently setting the sketchbook down. "So I suggest starting to act your age. Are you finished?"

"Y-Yeah. Here," she murmured, handing him the book and pen. He took them, thanked her, and left.

Naminé sank into her pillows. So Sora and she _were_ going to the same school, just like she'd wanted for the past two years-except now she didn't.

Naminé sighed, and wondered what she was going to do. She couldn't handle it-being the Mermaid, Sora, the Angel, Quistis, Squall…

She needed to go to sleep.

_Oh, and Zexion?_ she thought, smirking as she sank into darkness._ What's my age again?_

**And that's about the time she walked away from me.**

**Nobody likes you when you're twenty-three,**

**And I'm still more amused by TV shows.**

**What the hell is ADD?**

**My friend's say I should act my age.**

**What's my age again?**

**WHAT'S MY AGE AGAIN?**

_Your vows of silence_

_Fall all over._

_The look in your eyes_

_Makes me crazy._

_I feel the darkness_

_Break upon her._

_I'll take you over_

_If you'll let me._

_(You did this.)_

Sora groaned, putting his head in his hands. So far, the becoming Naminé's personal paparazzi hadn't been working-she was still the same as she had always been! That didn't help him at all! He was no closer to getting her to open up, and he was fu-

"Sora?"

He looked up to see Xion standing in front of him. "What's up?" he asked, taking his hands away and clasping them in front of him.

"Um, Naminé told me to tell you that three year olds can be badass. I have no idea what that means, but that's what she said," she replied, biting her lip in confusion.

Sora grinned like a madman and started laughing really, really hard. Xion widened her eyes, alarmed. Sora eventually calmed down, and wiped a tear from his eye. "Ha ha. Okay, tell her that four year olds are worse." Xion nodded, and walked away, looking warily over her shoulder. He waved at her, and she gave a small one back before speeding up.

Sora gave a little chuckle, and muttered to himself, "So you do remember that...thought you'd forgotten Wakka."

He frowned as a wave of homesickness washed over him. _Vanitas… Roxas… Ven… Kairi… Riku… Mom… even Dad… I miss you all._

He got up, deciding to take a walk in the woods. He felt the wind hit his face, and he breathed it in, relishing the coldness of it. Sora scowled as he thought about what he wanted the most-a kiss from Naminé, but he thought that her happiness mattered more. And it was obvious that she wasn't happy that he was here.

Sora sighed, figuring that maybe he should just leave, give her some time to get used to the fact that he wanted to be with her again. After all, he'd see her in September. He knew that much.

A tear slid down his cheek as he realized that was the best option. _You win, Naminé. I'll leave. See you in September._

_ I still love you._

_Tidal waves,_

_They rip right through me._

_Tears from eyes worn,_

_Cold and sad._

_Pick me up now-_

_I need you so bad._

_Down, down, down, down._

_Down, down, down, down._

_Down, down, down, down._

_Down, down, down, DOWN._

**HEY WORLD!**

**Thank you Christopher Scott and maxeyn for reviewing! Much appreciated :D**

**Sorry updates have been slow, I'm a busy person XD**

**Kingdom Hearts (c) Square Enix and Disney**

**What's My Age Again? and Down (c) Blink 182**

**So, I have an announcement, if you're still reading. I am currently in the middle of crazy homework time (as if it could be crazier than before DX) and don't know how long it is going to be in between updates. So if I don't update anything/start anything new for a while, it is because of that. I'm sorry, but academics are important-sadly, more important than fanfiction, because it will determine if i get a job-so I need to concentrate on them. I will update when possible, I just don't know how long it will take. I'm sorry, guys :( .  
**


	9. When You're Gone and Fall to Pieces

I haven't even been here a day and I already miss you, Nam. When you're gone, it's like there's a huge hole in my heart that doesn't want to go away. I hope that August passes by quickly; I'm missing you too much.

_I always needed time on my own._

_I never thought I'd_

_Need you there when I cried._

_And the days feel like years_

_When I'm alone._

_And the bed where you lie_

_Is made up on your side._

_When you walk away,_

_I count the steps that you take._

_Do you see how much I need you right now?_

Sora threw his Blitzball against his bedroom wall, bored and depressed. He sighed as it bounced out of his room and into the open window. The birds chattered away, and the sun shined down. What a completely opposite day.

"Sora?" Said brunet looked up to see his mother standing there with her mouth wide open. She dropped the duster and sprinted over, grabbing him in a hug. "You're home," she murmured. Sora returned the hug, tears of happiness sliding down her face dripping onto his shirt.

"Taiyō **[1]**, do you think-" Mr. Irino stood in the doorway and stared at his son, shock evident in his face. "You're home?" Sora nodded, and his father smiled. He walked over towards the bed and wrapped both Sora and Taiyō in a hug. "Don't do that again," he muttered, squeezing the both of them.

"Hey, Da-Oh."

The three Irinos pulled apart so that Sora could see Vanitas glaring coldly at them. "So you're back," the ebony haired boy sneered. "What? Naminé not good enough for you?"

"No, she…she didn't want to see me…but she's going to in September, so it's all good," Sora replied, noticing his brother's tone. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, just wondering if you've finally realized that the world doesn't revolve around you and your Naminé misery," was the reply.

"Vanitas!" their mother gasped.

"What's your problem?" Sora demanded, standing up and glaring at his twin. What had happened?

"You! When were you going to tell us that you're The Mother Fucking Angel?"

"Watch your language, young man!" Mr. Irino warned, but the twins ignored him.

"What's it to you?" Sora snapped back. "How did you find out anyway?"

"It's everything to me, and it's not hard to figure out when you think back on life. You're not exactly the best secret keeper."

"Whatever. I don't need this," Sora groaned, making way for the front door.

"Yeah, go on, run back to your precious Mermaid! But I'll always be around to stop you!" Vanitas called after him as the brunet slammed the door.

Sora sprinted down the road and towards the dock. He didn't bother going to a boat, he just dove straight into the water. He swam like there was no tomorrow, wanting to forget about everything-Vanitas, his father, Naminé.

He felt his energy start to drain, and he immediately regretted not getting a boat. _But hey_, he thought as his eyes started to close, _now I won't have to deal with all this drama._

He felt himself start to sink to the bottom, and he smiled, content for the first time since he saw Naminé for the first time in the orphanage.

_When you're gone, _

_The pieces of my heart are missing you._

_When you're gone,_

_The face I came to know is missing, too._

_WHEN YOU'RE GONE,_

_The words I need to hear_

_To always get me through the day, _

_And make it ok: _

_I miss you._

**I looked away,**

**Then I looked back at you.**

**You tried**

**To say**

**Things that you can't undo.**

**If I had**

**My way,**

**I'd never get over you.**

**Today's**

**The day.**

**I pray that we make it through.**

**Make it through the fall,**

**Make it through it all.**

Something wasn't right.

Naminé could feel it. It was probably Sora, since she had no other family.

Well, maybe it was just him regretting leaving the orphanage. Still, it couldn't hurt to check.

She closed her eyes, and connected to him. She saw water, felt no air coming to her lungs. She felt content, yet angry.

Oh, dear sweet Kingdom Hearts.

Naminé ignored the pain in her chest-how could she not? Sora was fucking drowning himself!—and sprinted to the bathroom. She immediately ran water in the bathtub and stepped in, not caring if it burned her skin (it wouldn't anyway). She closed her eyes and let the water run over her body before connecting with Sora once more.

It hurts, connecting. It's like there's a burning pain in your chest, but that's only if you just rebuilt a connection that you severed. Naminé ignored this pain and continued to find Sora. She felt her body dissipate into the water molecules of the bath water, and she and the water were soon one. She teleported to Destiny Islands, and she assumed her True Form.

This is the most painful part of connecting then transforming. Her body solidified, and then she let go of all her emotions, and the barrier broke with a loud **pop!**

Naminé then was surrounded in darkness, and water danced around her. She reveled in the pain of her legs merging and her hair becoming striped with navy blue. Her bandages and her clothes dissolved into water molecules, and the darkness became a strapless, sexy, black bra with a single red stripe across the middle. Her legs had merged into a black tail with red fins.

Naminé smiled in ecstasy as she felt Quistis again, and the power of the water propelled her forward towards Sora as she suddenly became serious. She had to save his life, and she didn't have much time left. She could feel his energy draining away rapidly.

Why was she bothering to save his life? She had purposely severed the connection with him when she left for the orphanage. Had him coming back reiterated her love for him?

There he was.

He looked so peaceful. He seemed…somewhat content. But that wasn't a good thing. She could feel the anger radiating off him as she swam towards him. She grabbed him and swam upwards. _**Fuck! He's so heavy!**_ she thought, pulling him upward. She pushed herself to go faster, and she used her connection to the water to propel herself faster. The blue water swirled around them, and she created an air bubble so that he could breathe.

They broke through the surface, and she used all her energy to throw him onto the sand 5 miles away. She let herself fall back into the water as some other waves carried Sora to the beach. Naminé swam to the beach and pulled herself onto the sand next to him. She caressed his face and prayed that he would wake up soon.

next to him. She caressed his face and prayed that he would wake up soon.

**And I don't wanna FALL TO PIECES,**

**I just wanna sit and stare at you.**

**I don't wanna talk about it,**

**And I don't want a conversation,**

**I just wanna cry in front of you.**

**I don't wanna talk about it,**

'**Cause I'm in love with you.**

**HEY WORLD!**

**So, I made it a goal to upload/finish this on Namora day (today, 12/15!)! And I DID IT! WOOHOO!**

**So, to your reviews:**

**maxeyn: yes, he did, although technically it was Namin****é**** who left last time T.T**

**Christopher Scott: thanks! It's appreciated **

**Kingdom Hearts © Square Enix/Disney**

**When You're Gone/Fall to Pieces © Avril Lavigne**

**I only own Mr. and Mrs. Irino**

**READ AND REVIEW PLEASE =D**


	10. Circus and Radar

**HEY THERE!**

**So, I hope you all have a good Christmas (or whatever you celebrate; I won't judge!) and a Happy New Year, since I most likely won't be able to update this story before then. So, anyways, review answering time!**

**Christopher Scott: Why, thank you! We shall see…**

**So, yes. On with the fanfic!**

Oh, dear Kingdom Hearts, please help me. My life is one big circus and I don't know what to do. Please, let everything be ok and calm down. I'll become Quistis if that's what—

You know what. Never mind. The spotlight is nice. I'm gonna stay right here. Squall may fall for Rinoa again, but Quistis is back, bitch.

**There's only two types of people in the world-**

**The ones that entertain,**

**And the ones that observe.**

**Well, baby, I'm a put-on-a-show kind of girl.**

**Don't like the backseat,**

**Gotta be first.**

**I'm like a ringleader;**

**I call the shots.**

**I'm like a firecracker-**

**I make it hot.**

Naminé gave a sigh of relief when Sora's eyes opened blearily and she sat him up when he gave a cough, bringing up water. "N-Nam?" he whispered hoarsely as she patted his back, attempting to get all the water out of his system. His eyes widened when he saw, "Nam…you have your tail."

"Yes, no thanks to you. What the **fuck** were you thinking, drowning yourself?" she snapped, slapping him upside the head.

"OW! I was thinking that I could escape everything. My family, you hating my guts…" he trailed off when he saw the look in her eyes. "Oh, shit."

"You think your family's bad? Try having them dead!"

"Because of my father!" He clasped his hands over his mouth when he realized what he had just said. "Crap…"

"What the **fuck** are you talking about?" she growled, giving him a death glare.

Sora sighed, and explained everything—the letter, going to her house, the weird visits from Aqua and Riku, and what happened when he arrived home. He watched her when she finished, scared that she was going to do something bad. One can imagine his surprise when she cuddled him instead. "S'not your fault your dad and brother are bastards. But what happened to Vanitas, I wonder…" she mused, her voice muffled since her face was buried in his shirt.

He wrapped his arms around her and murmured, "I do, too. Maybe Dad got to him."

"Maybe. Well, I gotta go before Vexen and-or Xion get to my room and flip out on me," Naminé sighed, slipping back into the sea.

"Wait!" She looked back and raised an eyebrow. "Can…Can I go with you? There's nothing for me here."

"Sure, why not." And with that, the blonde girl slid into the water and swam off. She felt her body dissolve into water molecules and then teleported back into her bathtub in the hospital wing. She then solidified herself and reconnected the emotional barrier. The feeling of splitting her tail wasn't painful, surprisingly. It actually felt nice; like there was a warm heat filling the tail as it split. Her bra molded back into her dress, and she opened her eyes to see both Vexen and Xion staring at her, their eyes wide. "Oh, shit," Naminé muttered, sinking back into the water.

**When I put on a show,**

**Feel the adrenaline moving through my veins.**

**Spotlight on me**

**And I'm ready to break.**

**I'm like a performer,**

**The dance floor is my stage.**

**Better be ready,**

**Hope you feel the same.**

**All eyes on me in the center of the ring**

**Just like a CIRCUS.**

_Confidence is a must._

_Happiness is a plus._

_Edginess is a plus._

_Edges, I like them rough._

_A girl with a Midas touch,_

_Intoxicate me,_

_I'm a rush._

_Stop, you're making me blush,_

_People are looking at us._

Sora flew over the sea, hoping that he would actually be able to find The World That Never Was Orphanage. I mean, come on! The one time he had been there, he was on a train! He had no idea how to get there or anything just by flying.

Now was when he wished that there was, like, a map of the earth or something. Maybe he could pick up a GPS on the way; Wakka's mom had a store that sold that kind of thing.

Then his Angle sense kicked in, and he felt Naminé's connection to him. He followed it, and he felt her emotions. She seemed… caught. Vexen or Xion were probably in the hospital bathroom and—oh, please say that Vexen didn't see her naked. Sora himself had never seen her transform back into a human, but he sure hoped it didn't involve nudity.

Sora sighed as he left Destiny Islands and flew over just clear sea before realizing that he couldn't see the train. He nearly flew higher up until her remembered that all train tracks leaving Destiny Islands went underwater. Heh, he felt foolish.

"La di da di da di da…" he sang to himself as he rolled onto his back and flew backwards. He thought about all that had happened. What the hell happened to Vani? What changed him to make him lash out?

And he couldn't tell ANYONE about being The Angel! So why was he taking it personally?

Whatever. He couldn't do anything about the past. Maybe, by September, Vanitas will have cooled off, and things could go as back to normal as they ever could be when you're The Angel and you've fallen for The Mermaid. Completely normal.

_I don't think you know,_

_Know_

_I'm checking you_

_So hot,_

_So hot,_

_Wonder if she knows._

_You're on my radar,_

_ON MY RADAR._

**Yeah, the Sora part was pretty much a filler since I can't really break the pattern. Sorry 'bout that.**

**So, please. READ AND REVIEW!**


	11. Positoovity and Human Stuff

**I miss winter break so very much T.T**

**Ok, so this chapter (and a few others) is going to be a little different. How? You'll see what I mean.**

**Review Reply time!**

**maxeyn: Yes, that's right. Here's an easy way to remember: Nami means "wave" in Japanese, and Sora's name is derived from the Japanese word for "sky." That's actually how I came up with the idea for this fic, ha ha.**

**Christopher Scott: Why, thank you!**

**Read on, minions!**

**I do not own, nor do I claim to, Kingdom Hearts or the songs, which belong to Eddie Korbich, Broadway, and Disney.**

Is this…really happening? Am I really going to spend the rest of the summer and the year with Naminé? Is this…Is this actually my reality? Oh, Kingdom Hearts, you really are amazing! I have a bunch of positoovity about life right now (no, I didn't make that word up. I got it from Broadway. What, you think I'm Demyx or something?)

SNSNSN

Sora grinned as he sprinted down the halls of the orphanage on his way to the hospital. It was August 22, and Naminé was finally able to leave the hospital wing. Granted, she was in a wheelchair until she felt strong enough to walk, but whatever. She was getting out!

"Whoa, Nellie!" Larxene cried as Sora nearly rammed into her. "Sorry!" he called over his shoulder as he turned the corner. She scowled, annoyed, but then grinned when she realized the date. "Of course," she muttered, picking up her packages and moseying over to the boss' office.

He panted outside the door, realizing that he had run for pretty much the whole way. "Wow, smart move, Sora. Smart move," he muttered in-between breaths before poking his head inside. She was sleeping, again. She was always asleep when he came into her room, but what made Sora flip was the fact that a certain ebony haired girl was in there beside her.

Sora had visited Xion earlier, making sure that she wasn't scarred. She had kinda walked in on him when he was, ahem, changing. Her reaction when he entered was daunting, and he hoped that she wouldn't throw a lampshade at him again. It was her fault in the first place for not knocking!

"Hello," she coolly greeted, staring evenly at him.

"Look, it wasn't my fault! You're the one who walked in on me," he whisper-yelled, not wanting to wake Naminé.

"You should have locked your door."

"Why? It's Zexion and my room!"

"Zexion locks it."

"But he wasn't there!"

"Please stop fighting," Naminé moaned quietly. Sora looked over at her sheepishly and walked over to his claimed chair. "Shi-Shi, you shouldn't have walked into his and Zexion's room unannounced." Xion just looked away. Sora frowned, deterred. _Does…Rinoa hate me for sacrificing myself?_ Sora had figured out last week that Xion was Rinoa-of course, on complete accident. He dreamt about it, just like he and Naminé found out they were Squall and Quistis.

"Xion," he murmured, reaching out a hand to her. She glanced at it coldly. "I'm sorry I freaked you out by screaming."

"It's not that, Squall," she hissed. Sora tensed, and he noticed Naminé's eyes widen. "You sacrificed yourself for-"

"The good of the world! Rinoa-" She cut him off by slapping him and walking to the door. She turned back to Naminé and snidely told her, "Oh, and Quistis—don't try to take him from me like you have done in the past. He's all yours." She then walked out.

Sora and Naminé looked at each other in confusion, and Sora asked, "What was that about?"

"I don't know, Xion's never acted like this before," she replied.

"No, about me being all yours." He leaned in and asked, "What did she mean, Naminé?"

At a loss for words, she just stared at him for a full minute before Vexen walked in with a wheelchair, exclaiming, "Here ya go!" The teenagers grinned happily at the same time, and before she could protest, Sora gently picked Naminé up bridal style and sat her down into the chair. She giggled excitedly, like she was a little kid, and Vexen laughed. Sora asked him, "Does she need to wheel this herself, or is there a control on here she can use?"

"There is a control-right here." Vexen motioned to a control much like a game controller on the armchair, and explained to Naminé how to work it. Sora watched the door, not paying attention. What did Xi-no, she had been Rinoa when she talked, she had referred to him as Squall. What did Rinoa mean when she said he was all Quistis'?

"Sora! Can we go to the mall? Please?" Naminé asked, looking hopefully up at him. He grinned down at her and replied, "Sure! Want to ask the others?"

"No, just the two of us. I haven't seen you alone and, um, actually been nice to you," she murmured the last part, but Sora still caught it.

"Hey," he told her, placing one finger under her chin and making her look at him, "I understand why. It's ok. I'll go grab my wallet and your purse, ok?" She smiled at him. He returned it before running to go grab the stuff.

An hour later, the two were wandering around the Twilight Town Commercial Center, not even going in the stores, just laughing and enjoying each other's company. "Hey, Sora," she suddenly said. "Do you think I can try to stand?"

"Um, I don't actually think that's wise, Naminé," he hesitantly replied. "You just got out."

"True," she sighed. Sora noticed her sad expression, and started formulating a plan.

"Hey," he told her. "Maybe tomorrow!" She smiled gratefully up at him before ramming her chair into his legs. "Oi!" he teased before tickling her. She howled with laughter, the both of them ignoring the happy smiles of the other shoppers-they all knew of the Nakahara orphan's story, and they guessed she was finally getting some happiness.

SNSNSN

The next day, Naminé was sitting with Zexion in the garden, the both of them reading separate books, when Sora walked up. She looked up and laughed out loud when she saw that he was dressed up as a seagull. "Sora," she chortled, "it's still August."

"I know. But, hey, I felt like wearing this," he responded, grinning happily at her. "Now, how about we try to help you walk?" She tried to push herself out of the chair, but she fell back after a failed attempt. She sadly looked at him. "What's this? You giving up so soon? You gotta have a little gumption," Sora said as music played in the background. "Yeah! A can-do kind of attitude. Take it from a gull who knows.

_Now look at me._

_You see this face?_

_In terms of beauty,_

_I'm a basket case._

_And as for style and savoir faire,_

_Well, I guess there ain't a whole lot there._

_Yup!_

_Although, perhaps,_

_It makes no sense,_

_I strut my stuff with lots of confidence,_

'_Cause though I lack_

_An awful lot,_

_There is one thing I got._

_I got positoovity!_

_I got positoovity!_

_It gives me the zam_

_And the zow_

_And the yaddle_

_Laddle_

_Laddle._

_That's why I walk with a wiggle in my waddle._

'_Cause once you've heard that word,_

_There ain't nothing you can't do._

_So let that positoovity work for you!"_

"Positoovity? Why, there's no such word," Zexion snorted, looking up from his book.

"'Course there is, in the dictionary between popsuckle and prehysterical. Believe you me-I seen it work miracles!" Sora admonished as Axel, Larxene, and Demyx popped out from behind trees. Sora pointed to Axel, singing,

"_Now he's a shmoe-"_

Axel cried, "Yo!"

Sora continued, gesturing to Larxene,

"_And he's a schlep-"_

Larxene replied, "Yeah?"

Sora pointed to Demyx,

"_And this one doesn't got the sharpest rep."_

Demyx squawked in protest.

"_In fact,_

_All three without a doubt,_

_Missed the day that brains were handed out."_

Axel pointed out,

"**But if he's no sage-"**

Demyx continued,

"And he's no whiz,"

The two looped their arms together and sang together,

"**The whole world thinks that we are geniuses.**

'**Cause all our screws**

**May be unscrewed,**

**But dig our attitude!"**

Sora and Larxene joined in, the latter linking elbows with the other two,

"_**We got positricity!"**_

"How bout you, huh?"Sora asked Naminé.

"_**We got positoovity!"**_

"Just try it out, come on," he ushered, offering his hand.

"**It gives us the bing-"**

"And the bang-"

"_And the yippee dip doodle."_

"_**That's why we sound**_

_**Like there's knowledge in the noodle.**_

_**And once you learned that word,**_

_**There ain't nothing you can't do.**_

_**So let that positricity-"**_

"_N-N-No, Positroocity!"_

Sora corrected.

"**Poositrocity work for you!"**

"Naminé, don't take advice from birdbrains," Zexion advised, shutting his book.

"Birdbrains! Who you callin' birdbrains!" Sora demanded, comically getting into Zexion's face. "We got natural talent, what I like to call Gull-ability! Ha ha!"

"_**So with the vip**_

_**And the vap**_

_**And the ba-ba-boo,**_

_**You can flip**_

_**Any flap**_

_**Til your wish comes true.**_

_**The tip**_

_**Is to tap into something that you believe."**_

"'_Cause with the zig_

_And the zug_

_And the zig-zug-zing,_

_There ain't nothing you can't be._

_You see,_

_It's really your prerogative,"_

Sora explained, smiling down at the blonde girl, who was smiling giddily.

"_**You simply can't be nogative!"**_

The whole ensemble-Sora included- exclaimed, striking poses. Sora broke away, holding his hand out to her, singing,

"_And then there's you,_

_Just sitting there._

_Smack down flat upon your dairy air._

_Hey!_

_If that's the way_

_You wanna be,_

_Well!_

_You might as well be shrubbery_

_So stand right up_

_And dust your seat,_

_And walk real tall_

_Upon your own two feet._

_And, sure, you'll trip,_

_And make mistakes,_

_But you've got what it takes!"_

Naminé looked hesitatingly at his hand, then at the now tap dancing Axel, Demyx, and Larxene, then slowly took it as Sora cried, "You go, gull!" She laughed as he pulled her out of her seat and helped her walk over to the dancing trio. She smiled, happy, and they ended up pulling her in the dance with them. Sora sprinted over to Zexion and attempted to have him join, but he wasn't budging from his seat. Sora shrugged and ran back to the dancing group, and danced the dance in front of them, and the original singers sang,

"_**And now you know that word,**_

_**There ain't nothing you can't do!"**_

Sora went into a solo,

"_So go get some posilicity!_

_You can bet on positricity!_

_And just let that positrinity-_

_No, positroonity!_

_Poositonity?_

_Is it?_

_Is it, what is it?"_

"**POSITOOVITY!"**

Axel, Demyx, Larxene, and even Naminé reminded him. They all ended up finishing the song together,

"_**Positively work for you!"**_

"Okay, which one of you planned this?" Naminé asked, pulling away and going back to her chair, tired.

"Me!" Sora cheerfully, pointing to himself before pulling off the beak. "Ki-God, that thing's hard to sing in," he muttered, catching himself.

"And you managed to come up with the choreography AND get Zexion in this?" she inquired, surprised.

"Zexion: yes, because it's called blackmail. Choreography: um, no… that would be Larxene," he answered as they all pulled their costumes off.

"Well, it got me to walk, so congrats," she giggled, clapping.

"Success!" he cheered, going down on his knees with his hands in the air. Everyone but Zexion laughed, the latter just rolling his eyes and reading his book.

NSNSNS

A few days later, Naminé was wheeling down the halls, feeling too lazy to walk. She was a little upset, because Xion still wasn't talking to her, and she really didn't want Sora to find out how she felt about him. No doubt Xion had already told him, but she really didn't want that to be the case. She was also upset because now she didn't have an Ariel…

"Hey."

Naminé looked up in shock to see Xion standing there, smiling. "Xion?"

"Um, look, I'm sorry. I was just confused about being Rinoa and getting my memories back and then when Sora walked in on me I just flipped out because he's Squall and you're Quisits and how were you two calm when you found out?"

"We weren't at all. We were spazztastic for weeks, and everyone was thinking of sending the two of us to an asylum," she giggled. She turned serious and replied, "But now, I'm starting to doubt who we are… you included."

"What?"

"Well—and Sora's been getting these two—we might not be Rinoa and Quistis. He's sill Squall, but…I don't know," she mused.

"Whatever. So… do you still want me as Ariel?" Xion asked, grinning.

"Wha—how'd you know I—?"

"Larxene. Where's the costume?" Naminé smiled—things were looking up.

NSNSNS

Sora was in the garden—that seemed to be a favorite spot of Naminé's—twirling his Keyblade around and around. He really hoped that nobody other than Naminé and Xion showed up—he'd never be able to explain. _Oh, yeah, I have this Keyblade that nobody in the world has because I'm The Angel!_

"Hey, Sora."

"I don't have anything!" he cried, throwing the Keyblade behind his back and banishing it. He looked up to see Xion standing there with a weird look on her face. "Oh. Hi."

"Look, I'm sorry. I just… didn't know how to cope," she said, looking away.

"Hey, look, I get it. Nam and I were nearly sent to an asylum when we found out. You took it better than us. But, um, can you explain something to me?"

"Depends on what it is," she answered, sitting down next to him.

"What did you mean when you said—" Sora was interrupted by Naminé wheeling in and calling, "Hello!"

"Hey, Nam!" Sora replied, grinning from ear to ear. Naminé's heart swelled when she saw him, and Xion grinned, waving.

"Hey, Naminé? What's this?" Xion asked, pulling out a fork and—unknown to Sora—pressing play on her iPod.

"Wow—this is special… this is very, very unusual," the blonde marveled as Sora watched on, confused until he heard the music. Oh, very nice.

"What? What is it?" Xion asked, enthralled.

"It's a dinglehopper!" Sora nearly laughed at the incredible name.

"Dinglehopper?" Xion asked, awed.

"Oh, these babies are fantabulous! Absolutely indispensary," Naminé gushed, nodding her head. "When it comes to dinglehoppers, I'm a regular encycloploodia!

**Say that you wanna have a hairdo**

**Like the folks who live up there do**

**That'll flap their wings!"**

Axel popped out from behind the tree Sora was leaning on, adding,

"_Flop their wigs!"_

Demyx peeped around the other side, continuing,

"Flap!"

Larxene leaned down from the branches, screaming, "Awwk!" Naminé rolled her eyes and continued,

"**Well!**

**You'll look absolutely dandy**

**If you use one of these handy**

**Little thingamajigs!"**

A: "_Thingmabobs._"

D: Jigs!

A: _Bobs!_

L: Awwwk!

N: **Pick up the dinglehopper, **

**Just like so  
Twirl it the way I'm twirling now!**

**Give it a little yank, **

**And there ya go!  
You're what they call "the dog's meow"!**

A/D: _Wonderful stuff!_

L: Awwwk!

A/D: _That human stuff! _

_Can't get enough—_

L: Awwwk!

A/D: _Of human stuff!_

_And we are the authority—  
No need for us to bluff!  
Because we're great at explanatin' _

_Human stuff!  
_  
X: (picking up a pipe) What's that?

N: A snarfblatt!

X: Wow!

N: **Back when the world was prehistoral,**

**People sat as still as coral.**

**Flat upon their bumps**

A: _On their runts!_

D: Bunks!  
  
L: Awwwk! 

N**: There they would be, **

**Not even thinkin'  
Bored to death**

**And barely blinkin'  
Way down at the dumps**

A: _On the dumps!_

D: At!

A: _On!_

L: Awwwk! 

N:** Then they invented snarfblatts,**

**Just by chance.  
Suddenly life was la-di-da! **

**Snarfblatts're what you use**

**To make folks dance!  
Give it a blow, and then – voilà!**

A/D: _Wonderful stuff!_

L: Awwwk! 

A/D: _That human stuff! If you're a buff—_

L: Awwwk!

A/D: _Of human stuff! _

A: _It's marvable!_

D: Stupendiful!

N: **Completely A-OJ!  
Which sounds absurd, **

**But take my word—**

N/A/D: _**That's what the humans say!  
Sensible stuff  
That human stuff!  
None of it fluff—  
Not human stuff!  
And heaven knows  
Since we're the pros  
From us, you'll get no guff**_

N: **And once you've got your who's-ma-gig—**

A: _A thinga-ma-what—_

D: A whatch-ma-gig—

N: **That's all you need **

**To bring you up to snuff!**

A/D: _Right up to snuff!  
With proper dinglehopper groomin'  
Rest assured... _

_You'll look real human!_

N/A/D/X: _**We know,**_

'_**Cause we know  
Human stuff!**_

Sora laughed, and pounced, locking Naminé in a headlock. "Ha ha, nice! Admit it! You came up with this idea! Admit it!" he teased, giving her a noogie.

"Ok, ok, it was me! It was me!" she laughed, tickling him in return. Axel, Demyx, Larxene, and Xion looked at each other, and decided to leave. Demyx looked over his shoulder and narrowed his eyes.

One day… one day, I'll have you back, Rikku.


	12. When September Ends and 21 Guns

**I forgot to mention in the last chapter that I was testing how I wanted to write full songs. That's half the reason they sang full songs. The other half was because I wanted to see how it would work out.**

**Review Reply Time!**

**Christopher Scott: A lot is going on. Why thank you **

**So, read on minions!**

I'm so… tired. School's starting… oh, Kingdom Hearts, I don't want to go. I just wanna stay here… with Sora… Please, just wake me up when September ends.

**Like my father's come to pass,**

**Seven years has gone so fast.**

**Wake me up when September ends…**

Naminé wheeled down to the train, Sora following with their luggage. She glanced back, calling, "My offer is still open."

"No no no no no no no no no no. I'm fine, Nam," he reassured her, grinning, all four bags held in his hand. She smiled before swiping both of hers. He looked down at his hand, back at her, to his hand, then to her. She cheekily smiled, placing both on her lap before rolling away. She could hear his cries of protest, could practically see him pouting, and giggled.

"There they are!" Axel cried, sprinting forward. Zexion, Demyx, Larxene, and Xion turned to them, and Xion ran forward to help Naminé at the same time Axel took Sora's bags from him.

"Finally," Xemnas sighed in relief, walking forwards to Sora. "Pleasure to finally meet you, Sora. I'm sorry, but my schedule has been insanely busy."

"That's fine; being the owner of an orphanage takes its toll on you," the brunet replied, holding his hand out. Xemnas took it, smiling slightly. He turned back to his orphans and told them, "Now, remember to behave, and if any of you get detention, I will not hesitate to send Saïx, Axel."

"What?" the redhead protested, carefully putting Sora's bags in the compartments before turning to one of his caretakers. "Just 'cause I'm known for setting things on fire in all science classes—"

"Goodbye, students," Xemnas cut him off before stepping back. Xigbar, Xaldin, Vexen, Lexaeus, Saïx, Luxord, and Marluxia said their goodbyes—except Marluxia wasn't allowed anywhere near Naminé, especially since all of the orphans and Sora looked ready to murder him if he took one step forward.

"I still can't believe they didn't fire the bastard," Demyx muttered as they stepped into their compartments, with Sora carrying Naminé and Xion her wheelchair.

"You know the orphanage is short on employees, they had no choice," Xion told him as she placed the wheelchair besides Sora and Naminé.

"Still fucking hate his guts," Larxene snarled, slamming her fist on the table as the train started to move away. Everyone nodded, and Sora wrapped an arm protectively around Naminé, who nuzzled into his chest. Larxene waggled her eyebrows at the smaller blonde who stuck her tongue out at her. Larxene snickered before leaning her head onto the cushioned seat and shutting her eyes.

"You do realize that the ride's only an hour, right, Larxene?" Sora asked, raising an eyebrow.

"That's one less hour she's cranky," Axel whispered to him. "And before you criticize her, look at your little blondie." Sora looked over at Naminé, and noticed that her eyes were closed, as were Zexion's. She smiled a bit—she wasn't asleep, she just wanted to stalk on conversations. "So, Sora, what's going on with the two of you?"

"What do you mean?"

"Oh, come on. It's obvious you've got the hots for her," Demyx wheedled. "So?"

"Look," Sora sighed, "I… I do like her like that, but come on, guys! We've just been reunited after two years! I think it's too soon to ask." Naminé's heart raced; Sora liked her? Like, like liked her?

"I get it, man," Demyx said, and Naminé heard the shuffle of him searching for his iPod. "Well, see you guys in an hour." Naminé assumed he was going to sleep, and snuggled deeper into her best friend's warm chest, causing him to tighten his grip on her.

"So, when will you?" Axel inquired.

"Um…"

"Look, you better ask before someone else nabs her. There's someone here who really wants his Rikku back…"

"Riku? The silver—"

"No, man, no! Think—think of your Angel memories."

Naminé's heart froze at the same time Sora gasped. "Wha—how'd you know?"

"Say hello to the Resistance Member of the World That Never Was Orphanage! Code Name: World That Never Was," Axel cawed softly, and Naminé heard the slap of a high-five. "I lied my age, saying I was two younger than I was to get in, and Aqua manipulated everyone's memories to make them think I was the first orphan ever enrolled, and Riku came up with the paperwork."

"Wow. Just… wow. Wait, Aqua can manipulate memories?"

"Kinda. See, she specializes in water magic; we all have at least one shade of a power that one of you has, she got memory manipulation. It's not powerful; I had to rely on my crap acting skills. Luckily, the only ones who can see through our powers are you and Naminé, and the both of you came after I showed up, so the plan equaled foolproof."

"Nice," Sora congratulated, and Naminé could imagine Axel smirking and mock bowing. She heard Sora laugh and assumed he did before hearing Sora yawn, "I'm gonna go to sleep. Wake us in an hour, kay?"

"Whatever," Axel waved him off before Naminé felt Sora's weight shift and heard his soft, even breathing. She snuggled deeper into his chest and finally let herself drift off into sleep.

**Summer has come and passed.**

**The innocent can never last.**

**WAKE ME UP WHEN SEPTEMBER ENDS.**

_Do you know what's worth fighting for_

_When it's not worth dying for?_

_Does it take your breath away_

_And you feel yourself suffocating?_

Sora carried Naminé out of the train, with Xion taking her wheelchair. He set her down in it and went to get their bags, musing over his conversation with Axel and Demyx, and with just Axel. Was it Demyx who wanted Rikku back? He did remember a guy named Demyx… who did look exactly like Demyx… who tried to woo Rikku… and then succeeded, leaving him lonely… just like he and Rinoa did to Quistis.

He sighed, thoroughly confused. So Demyx wanted Rikku back, but Rikku wasn't around anymore, it was Namin—wait.

Sora took the luggage out of the compartment and looked back at Demyx, keeping track of his expression when he looked at Naminé. He looked… angry.

Uh-oh.

_Ok, Sora, just calm down. Just call on your acting skills and keep an eye on the both of them when they're alone together. Everything will work out fine. Demyx won't hurt Naminé, and everything will be just so damn peachy from now on. Just call on your acting skills, and everything will be a-okay._

"Sora? You okay?"

Said brunet jumped about twenty feet in the air and nearly attacked Larxene, who looked rather pissed. "Oh, sorry, Larxe, I was distracted."

"Yeah, sure, you didn't want to kill me or anything," she quipped, slugging him in the arm. It was probably intended to be soft, but it actually really hurt, and Sora could remember two lives worth of physical pain and the emotional pain of losing the Nakaharas and his brother. He rubbed his arm while Larxene remarked, "Where was I? Oh, yeah, there's something you should know. Demyx wants to go out with Naminé, so if you don't want to lose his friendship, think twice before you ask Naminé out." The elder blonde took her bag and walked away, leaving Sora to stare after her in shock.

Demyx was using the disguise that he had a crush on Naminé to get an excuse to be alone with her and then do… whatever he wanted to get Rikku back? Aw, hell no . That was not gonna happen. "You should have told me that back when I actually valued Demyx's friendship, Larxene," he muttered before slamming the compartment doors closed and walking back to the orphans, a smile plastered on his face.

"Sora! Here!"

He turned to see Fuu racing towards him, actually smiling. "Fuu! Hey!" he cried, dropping his bags and hugging her. "Are you our escort?" She nodded, back to her emotionless self. "Sweet! Come on, lemme introduce you to everyone." He picked his bags up and gestured his head towards the group before walking beside her, calling out, "Hey! Our leader is here! Friends, meet Fuu, Fuu, meet friends."

"Hello, my name is Naminé," Naminé greeted, stretching her hand out. Fuu took it, nodding. "This is Xion, Axel, Demyx, Zexion, and Larxene." Xion smiled, Axel quipped, "Got it memorized?" while tapping his temple, Demyx plucked a chord in his ukulele, Zexion nodded, and Larxene scowled.

"Family?" Fuu questioned, glancing at him. Sora pursed his lips and looked the ground, reluctant to answer. Naminé replied for him, "His family… well, his brother and father mostly, weren't exactly being… pleasant, I guess you could say. And no, there was no violence involved." Fuu nodded, and said, "Come," and walked off. Everyone grabbed their bags before seeing a silver haired boy that looked a lot like…

"Riku?" Sora, Naminé, and Zexion gasped. Wait, Zexion?

"Hey guys—Zexion?" Riku's eyes widened, and he walked forward, in shock. "Is it… is it really you?"

"Yes, it is. It's been too long, brother," Zexion smiled, clapping him on the shoulders. Riku grinned and wrapped him in a bear hug. He looked at Fuu and said, "Come on, sis." Fuu smiled and walked forward, putting her arms around the two boys. The trio ignored the shocked stares of everyone else, sharing a family moment.

Sora looked at Naminé and inclined his head towards the trunk. Understanding, she nodded, and he opened, placing their bags strategically in there, and gestured to the others, and they brought theirs over for Sora to put them away before they got in the van. Sora tiptoed over and took Zexion's and put them away before he closed the trunk and picked up Naminé. He placed her in the car before climbing in with her chair.

Soon, Zexion climbed in, Riku climbed into the driver's seat, and Fuu took shotgun. Riku smiled back at them and asked, "Twilight Town School for the Talented, anyone?"

_Your faith walks on broken glass,_

_And the hangover doesn't pass._

_Nothing's ever built to last,_

_You're in ruins._

_One_

_21 GUNS._

**Hello again, all!**

**So, because I forgot the disclaimer, and some other piece of news, I figured I'd say it down here!**

**I do not own, nor do I claim to, Kingdom Hearts or the above songs by Green Day.**

**Okay, so my other piece of news is that updates going to be even shorter, fewer, and in-between because my school is doing their spring show, based on the book **_**I Never Saw Another Butterfly**_**. So, now there are going to be fewer updates than before—not that they were frequent now. Thanks for sticking with the story, and for reviewing!**


	13. Animal I Have Become and Get Out Alive

**So, the show is over, which means I have a life, which means MORE FANFICTION! :D**

**Omigosh, not including the Author's Note or the lyrics, this chapter is 1,360 words! I think this is a record for me! :o**

**Review Reply Timeeeeeeee!**

**Christopher Scott: Why thank you! I hope this is worth the wait. Okie, I won't! *mimes zipping lips***

**So, read on minions!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own, nor do I claim to, Kingdom Hearts or the songs used.**

**P.S.: OMLORDY IT'S MA FAVORITE BAND (Three Days Grace) AND SORA HAS MY FAVORITE SONG (Animal I Have Become)! !**

**Ok, I'll shut up now XD**

Oh… Oh, my Kingdom Hearts… It's… Oh… This power… It's corrupting me… Save me, please…  
Please, someone… Save me from this animal I have become…

It's all Demyx's fault.

_I can't escape this hell;_

_So many times I've tried,_

_But I'm still caged inside._

_Somebody wake me from this nightmare—_

_I can't control myself!_

Sora panted heavily, trying to keep the light inside of him, tears streaming down his face. "Stay… down," he growled, clawing at his chest. He'd locked the door as soon as he'd got in; Vanitas wasn't going to come in anytime soon. "Why… are you doing this? God… damn…"

He flickered back and forth from his Angel form and his human form as he struggled to keep the emotional barrier intact and the light from taking over him. He used to think his light was what made him pure, what gave him his powers, but now he knew that he had been wrong. It was trying to corrupt him, make him kill Demyx before he did anything to Naminé. It wanted him to lose himself to it; it wanted him to let go and let it do what it wanted. It looked like it wanted to kill all those who had wronged him and her; his father, Vanitas, Demyx… Nevertheless, he wanted to keep them alive; it would crush his mother's heart if he murdered his father and brother, and Demyx…well, it would look suspicious if he did get rid of Demyx, no matter how much he wanted to.

"Sora? Idiot, let me in," he heard from outside. No… Vanitas couldn't come in.

"No… g-get away… from me… No…" he let out, taking his shirt off and scratching desperately at his heart, where it was agonizing. "I won't let you… kill… everyone…"

"Sora? Are you okay?" he heard. Naminé…

"Nam… Nami…né…. Help…" he breathed heavily, collapsing on his knees. He heard shuffling through the haze, the unlocking of a door, and the sprinting of Naminé's soft feet on the carpet. He growled ferociously, in between Angel and human. His eyes flashed pure white, and Naminé gasped in shock as she realized what was going on. She placed a hand on his chest and pure darkness released from her hand and into his chest. He breathed a sigh of relief as the pain slowly but surely dissipated into the beating of his heart. He fell onto his stomach, breathing heavily. Naminé wrapped her arms around him and held him, murmuring soft words of comfort and ignoring Vanitas, who glared at the both of them.

Sora slowly sat up and laid his head on her shoulder, tears still streaming down his cheeks. He finally noticed Vanitas standing there and wiped his tears on his arm before grabbing a random shirt and pulling it on. "What?" he sniffled.

"Pathetic," Vanitas sneered, walking forward. "You can't even keep what makes you powerful in check. Yet, somehow, you're meant to save the world from the person you depend on the most? I don't see how that is going to happen."

"It won't, because I'll never be Quistis or Rikku, just like Sora will never be Squall or Nooj!" Naminé snapped, glaring right back at him. She gently took Sora's head off her shoulder and stood up, stalking towards Vanitas with a dangerous glint in her eyes. He backed away, actually afraid for his life. She slapped him once before walking back over to Sora and offered her hand. He took it, and she grabbed his and her stuff before walking out of the room. Sora followed her, trying to hide the tear marks on his face. _What… am I turning into?_

_So what if you can see_

_The dark inside of me?_

_No one will ever change_

_This ANIMAL I HAVE BECOME._

**If you want to get out alive,**

**Hold on for your life.**

**If you want to get out alive,**

**Hold on for your life.**

Naminé sighed as she watched Sora sleep. She had a lot on her mind-schoolwork, getting used to walking, being the Mermaid, talking to Quistis, and now what just happened to Sora.

She heard a sniffle behind her, and she looked back to see Kairi dabbing her eyes with and surrounded by tissues. The blonde's heart went out to her best friend turned roommate; when Kairi had found out what Vanitas had said to Sora, she confronted him. They had a big fight that resulted in both Kairi finding out about Sora and Naminé and a breakup with Vanitas. The poor girl was heartbroken, and Naminé and Riku had spent the last couple days comforting her. Sora would have, too, but he figured that because he was somewhat the reason, it was best he stayed out of it.

Naminé picked up a crumpled piece of paper out of her pocket and unfolded it. It was a sketch of Vanitas, drawn by her. She looked around for a matchbox, and quickly found one under her bed. She walked over to Kairi and smiled when she saw the confused look on her friend's face. "Would you like to do the honors?" she asked, holding out the matchbox and the sketch. Kairi grinned, and picked a match out and lit it. She took the paper and lit it on fire. She blew out the match and grinned when she saw Vanitas' face go up in flames. Naminé smiled, knowing that Kairi was feeling a sense of finality. Quistis did the same thing for Squall.

"Naminé…"

Said girl turned to see that Sora was still asleep, and she knew that Kairi hadn't said anything. She looked at the redhead, who was enchanted by the flames, and snuck into the bathroom, locking the door behind her. "Hello?" she called out, half expecting an answer. Darkness materialized around the area in front of her, and took the shape of a woman. It seemed to solidify, and color started to appear. Quistis was a pretty eighteen-year-old, with her long blonde hair tied up at the back of her head and was held with a silver comb and two fringes of hair slung over her shoulders. Her bright blue eyes sparkled behind her glasses yet were tinted with the darkness she was a part of, and her pale skin seemed to shine. She wore a vest that reached to barely above her hips with a low-fold collar lined with gold and a long skirt with a silver waistbamd, both orange, black pants, dark brown arm warmers, brown gloves, and dark boots. She tightly held a whip in her hand.

"Hello, Naminé," Quistis Trepe greeted, smiling slightly. Naminé grinned at her. "There are some things we must discuss, like what happened to Sora."

"Yeah, what the hell was that?" Naminé demanded, sitting down on the bathtub edge. She had a feeling the news wasn't going to be pretty. "Why would his light try to take him over?"

"For all three of his lives, The Angel has always depended on his light powers. Sora depended too much on his, like Rikku did with her darkness, and therefore it took a toll on him. He has spent the past two years using his light to try and get him through his depression of missing you, and when he did find you, he finally transformed for the first time in this life. That made his light even more in control then before. Hence, it thought it could take him over and make him get rid of all the darkness in the world-meaning the rest of the world," Quistis explained.

Naminé stared at the other blonde blankly. "You're joking. Light tried to corrupt Sora? I mean, I could see it was hurting him, but it was trying to take over his mind?"

"I kid you not. He is constantly at risk of his light trying to take him over. Keep an eye on him," she advised. Naminé nodded.

The whip started to disappear, and Quistis looked at it, surprise apparent on her face as she realized what was happening. "No… It's too soon!"

"What? What's happening?" Naminé asked, fearful. If Quistis was looking like that…

"**This is my last time,"**

**She said,**

**As she faded away.**

"**It's hard to imagine,**

**But one day,**

**You'll end up like me."**

**Then she said,**

"**If you want to get out alive,**

**Hold on for your life."**

"What?" Naminé breathed, confused as Quistis faded away quickly. "Good-bye," the elder blonde murmured, giving a wave before disappearing completely. Naminé looked at the spot her past self had been moments before, perplexed, before feeling something in her hand. She looked down in time to see the whip materialize in her hand, and she finally understood.

Naminé had gained Quistis' powers, and she wasn't going to talk to her in this life ever again.


End file.
